What is in the best interest of educating students when it comes to spending our tax dollars?

As the Capistrano Unified School District asks voters to borrow $1.1 billion dollars to fix "sub-standard" facilities- it is important to look back and see what kind of stewards CUSD has been with our tax dollars, and if CUSD truly makes budget decisions from the perspective of what is in the best interest of educating students.

PART 1 - 2012-13 Employment Contracts and Adopted Budget

Many of you will remember that this budget was based on the passage or failure of Prop 30. CUSD parents were threatened with the possibility of 18 furlough days if voters failed to pass Prop 30.

When the 2012-13 budget was adopted reflecting $51 million in reductions, the CUSD press release head line was:

"Budget Balanced with Employee Concessions - Solutions to $51 million Deficit Found Through Negotiations".

Not really-

We now know that that there has only been one salary schedule reduction for teachers since 1999, and that was in 2010 as a result of the teachers union strike (a 1.2% salary schedule reduction).



We also now know that 80% of Prop 30 money went to employee salaries, pensions and benefits.

SYNOPSIS: 2012-13 adopted Budget and corresponding employment contracts:

The 2012-13 Budget was based on the passage or failure of Prop 30.

• If Prop 30 failed CUSD needed to cut it's budget by $51 million.

• If Prop 30 passed, CUSD needed to cut it's budget by $30.2 million.

CUSD identified $51 million in cuts:

$30.2 million:

• 1.2% Salary Schedule Reduction (From 2010 Teachers Strike per mediation - not a newly negotiated item).

• 3- Non-instructional furlough days representing a one time 1.62% pay cut for 2012-13 school year

• 5 - Instructional furlough days representing a one time 2.7% pay cut for the 2012-13 school year.

• Delay of Step and Column for 1/2 year of .5% (means there was a 1/2 year Step and Column salary increase for some employees)

$19.8 million:

10 - Instructional Furlough Days representing a one time 5.4% pay cut for 2012-13 school year
1.5% Salary Schedule Reduction

Savings from each 1% in Salary Rollback: $2,884,001 per 1%

Management (CUMA) Each 1% = $ 194,030
Classified (CSEA) Each 1% = $ 589,227
Certificated (CUEA) Each 1% = $2,031,912
Teamsters Each 1% = $ 68,832

When Prop 30 passed, CUSD unilaterally (without public input) choose not to implement $19.8 million in salary schedule reductions. CUSD chose to maintain maximum salary schedules rather than provide students with high quality staff, program expansion and variety, beneficial teacher-pupil ratios and class sizes, modern equipment and materials, and high-quality buildings.

CUSD intentionally mis-represented the facts to the public. When the 2012-13 Budget was adopted, the CUSD press release stated:

"Budget Balanced with Employee Concessions - Solutions to $51 million Deficit Found Through Negotiations".

CUSD actively "advocated" for the passage of Prop 30 and threatened parents with a total of 18 furlough days if voters did not vote to approve Prop 30. CUSD remained silent on a competing education funding bill, Prop 38.

When Prop 30 passed the CUSD press release stated:

"Election means no changes to Calendar- Student Instructional Days Remain at 175; no additional employee pay cuts".

CUSD uses a "Multi-pronged approach" to balancing its budget. This approach assumes that cuts start with unilateral reductions to non-negotiated items, and then only looks to negotiated concessions from employee groups if needed. This is a fundamentally flawed approach to addressing CUSD's budget shortfalls, and is intentionally designed to protect the salary schedules of employees. Everything, ("unilateral reductions" and "negotiated concessions") should be on the table together. To force unilateral cuts first, then back into negotiated concessions as a last resort, results in a disproportionate amount of cuts to everything except the employee salary schedule.

From 2010 to the present CUSD has cut $152 million from its budget (32%). Yet, the salary schedule for teachers has only be reduced one time since 1999. That was the result of the 2010 teachers strike.

The 2012 -13 balanced it's budget with $30.2 million in cuts:

$11 million in Unilateral- Non-Negotiated Reductions

• Management (CUMA): $1.5 million

• Classified (CSEA): $3.5 million

• Certificated (CUEA): $3.5 million

• Redirect Categorical Funding: $1.1 million

• Other area of savings: $1.4 million

$8.2 million in Savings from Increasing Class Sizes by 2 students in all grades

$2.7 million Savings from Freezing Salary Schedule:

• Management (CUMA) $162,796 mid-year Jan 2013

• Classified (CSEA) $932,554 full-year

• Certificated (CUEA) $1,432,144 mid-year Jan 2013

• Teamsters $207,044 full-year

$9 million Savings from 8 Furlough Days all employees (3 Non-Instructional + 5 Instructional)

• Management (CUMA): $100,059 per day

• Classified (CSEA): $338,361 per day

• Certificated (CUEA): $1,191,788 per day

• Teamsters: $43,415 per day

*Management and Teachers got a 1/2 year increase in Step & Column

The 8 furlough days represented a one time reduction in pay of 4.32% for 1 year. There was no newly negotiated decrease in salary schedule for 2012-13 despite having to cut $30.2 million from the District Budget.

The 2012-13 Employe Contracts and were knowingly and intentionally negotiated behind closed doors, with the unified objective of protecting employee salary schedules rather than promoting what was in the best interest of educating students.

Employees protected $19.8 million in on-going compensation for 5 years - that is $100 million dollars that could have been used for facilities maintenance, class size reduction and the restoration of programs like art- music- and science.

As a result of the 2012-13 contracts, employees were unjustly enriched at the expense of the quality of education CUSD students receive. Students have been forced to endure overcrowded classrooms, overworked teachers, sub-standards facilities, and less instructional time then their peers in other districts.

The continued lack of funding for high quality staff, program expansion and variety, beneficial teacher-pupil ratios and class sizes, modern equipment and materials, and high-quality buildings has resulted in a notable decline in the academic performance of students across all demographics. The continued lack of funding is preventing CUSD students from achieving their individual academic potential, and placing them at a disadvantage to their peers in other Districts.

Every taxpayer should listen to the Board Audio regarding the adoption of the 2012-13 Budget and corresponding employment contracts. Then you should listen to to the last board meeting audio regarding the $1.1 billion dollar Bond. It is an eye opener!

Trustees are elected by the public to represent the interests of students and taxpayers in all matters before the Board. Majority Trustees (elected with employee Union support) would not even allow minority Trustees to make comment on the record about the 2012-13 employment contracts or the adoption of the 2012-13 budget.

Board Audio from the June 27, 2012 Board Meeting
http://cusd.capousd.org/cusdweb/boardaudio/6-27-12/06-27-12RegBdMtg.mp3

Board Meeting Agenda Items #1- 5 http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/9066401469657812055.pdf

Agenda Item #1 Teachers Contract for May 12, 2012- June 30, 2013 at 17 minutes and 31 seconds:

17 minutes 50 seconds The District makes note of the fact that the three employee groups worked together since January to find a way to cut $51 million from the budget. The District brought all the parties together (except the public) to get this deal.

19 minutes 50 seconds CUSD has cut $150 million dollars from its budget

20 minutes 17 seconds The Orange County Department of Education commended CUSD for finding the full $51 million in cuts.

20 minutes 50 seconds The Board, Management and Employees worked together to solve the $51 million dollar reductions No more us vs them ... just a "WE" (Where was the Public In-Put?)

21 minutes 33 seconds The Contract increased class sizes by 1.5 students across all grades

21 minutes 43 seconds 1/2 Year Salary schedule freeze means that teachers still received a 1/2 year salary schedule increase

21 minutes 50 seconds 5 Instructional Furlough days (and 3 non-instructional days)

21 minutes 55 seconds If Prop 30 fails: 10 additional Instructional Furlough Days and a 1.5% Salary Schedule Rollback for a Total of 15 Instructional Furlough Days

22 minutes 20 seconds The State in collusion with the California Teachers Union changed many laws which helped the Unions preserve employee compensation during the great recession - rules that hurt students such as allowing the number of instructional days to drop below 165 and still allow Teacher pensions to vest.

22 minutes 37 seconds Total CUEA Concessions are $30.2 million

23 minutes 01 seconds Speaker Jennifer Beall- What happened to the 3 Pronged Approach - Fair for Everyone -This is not fair- Kids loose 1 month of school and no salary cuts? Are students first? People are out of work- people have no health care yet teachers have cadillac health care plans and are getting compensation increases. We want more teachers lower class sizes. Kindergarten 30+ kids per class so teachers can have a raise?

26 minutes 40 seconds Trustee Hatton moves to approve the agreement.

26 minutes 48 seconds Trustee Brick seconds the motion

Majority Trustees Prevented Minority Trustees from making Public Comments about the Budget and Employment Contracts.

This article is to long for the Patch- Click on this link to complete the article:

http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2016/06/what-is-in-best-interest-of-educating.html