The ABC Board of Education and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees [AFSCME] have reached a tentative agreement for the 2012-13 school year.
The agreement includes 18 holidays that consist of 10 legal holidays and eight local holidays. Salary schedules will be reduced to reflect four furlough days furing the 2012-13 school year.
Negotiations will reconvene between the union and district for possible further reductions if the final state budget reduces the District general fund revenue by at least $3.4 million more than the May 12 governor’s revise or if a mid-year funding reduction to the District’s general fund that requires the District to commit a minimum total of at least $4.517 million or 50 percent (whichever is higher) of the available fund balance as a part of the 2012-13 overall budget solution.
In her report Dr. Carol Hansen, Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations. said should neither of the ballot initiatives now proposed for the Nov. 6 election and the combined funding reduction from the 2012-123 State budget and mid-year cuts exceed the District’s June adopted budget by $4,9 million, AFSCME and the District will immediately schedule negotiations to agree to short and long-term solutions to address the budget problem.
Hansen stated this may include no permanent AFSCME employee’s lay-offs during the 2012-13 school year. If the District receives additional revenue for the school year, the Union and District will meet to review the budget and work together to allocate additional revenue in a fair and equitable manner with the goal of restoring one to four furlough days.
Any AFSCME employee who signs an irrevocable letter of resignation effective on or before June 30, 2013 by Nov.16, 2012, will receive a supplemental paycheck on or before July 1 in the amount of $3,000. They would also remain eligible to participate in any retirement incentive plans the District offers the 2012-13 school year.
In addition the District will correct errors on pay warrants as a result of this agreement within 20 working days of notification of the error. Personal Necessity leave would also be increased to a maximum of 10 days instead of seven days.
The Board also approved Health and Welfare Benefits for the new fiscal year. This includes and estimated 1.5 percent increase in costs, approximately $53,476 for the negotiated level of health benefit programs for the new school year.
In other business Chief Financial Officer Toan Nguyen said District donations of $1,600 were received. This included $200 from Board Member Maynard Law, $100 from Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Carol Hansen, and $100 from Cerritos City Councilmember Mark Pulido for the Wind Symphony Band program. Stowers PTA donated $1,200 to purchase student folders for Kindergarten through Second grade for the 2012-13 school year.
School Broad President Olympia Chen announced the Board voted 5-1 in closed session to refund $500,000 to former Cerritos Mayor Grace Hu, who had originally donated that amount for the Whitney High School Multi Media Center currently under construction. In return the Center was to be named after her.District officials would not comment further on the matter.
Former Whitney Principal Patricia Hager and the Whitney Foundation had told Hu at the time the initial donation was made the Center would be named after her. They further said the District Cabinet, which included former Superintendent Dr. Gary Smuts and other administration officials, had agreed, although no official action was taken by the School Board approving the agreement.
