George Laase

For the first seven years of the spreadsheet below, the Culver City USD remained with or ahead of the Los Angeles County average in salaries. Then the Great Recession hit, severely affecting California’s economy. The state’s housing market collapsed, foreclosures soared, the state’s tax base shrank and the state Legislature cut spending by deferring funds from K-12 school districts. In response to the state’s continued deferrals of funding, the CCUSD found it necessary to negotiate five furlough days in 2010-11 and four days in 2011-12.

The School Board, in accepting the three negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements, has agreed to increase the School District employees’ salary schedules by 2 percent this year and for each of the next two years. In so doing, Board members have added almost $8.1M to the District’s budget over the next three fiscal years.

At the outset let’s acknowledge the undisputed fact that the El Marino Language School site was built first, before the 405 Freeway was constructed next to it eight to ten years later. This should not be brushed aside or forgotten. It is the quintessential piece of evidence in this matter.

At their last meeting, our School Board voted to give all School District employees a 2 percent raise. Teachers Union President David Mielke was so sure of the outcome of the vote, that he thanked the board ahead of time, even before it was taken and went home early.

There are only four ways School District employee compensation can be increased: Either by being given raises, Step-and-Column movement, increasing District-paid health benefits or in one-time bonuses.

The latest information publicly presented to our School Board by Dr. Rania Sabty-Daily on health problems at El Marino Language School caused by the ultra-fine particles emanating from the 405 Freeway, should be embraced by our School District. We should thank her for bringing this new scientific evidence to light and support her efforts in taking the data to the state and County for action.

School Board members – Below is an exchange of emails with Asst. Super Mike Reynolds, confirming my fears that the first page of the all three Collective Bargaining Agreements, which shows their fiscal impacts, are incomplete and therefore misleading.

How is this School Board ever going to convince local voters to trust them, by passing another double-digit, multi-million dollar General Obligation Bond (GOB)? Especially when it seems that the current Board members the voters elected to oversee their School District don’t even seem to understand the basic fiduciary responsibilities of their office.

First of two parts. I remember when Supt. David LaRose announced a few months ago, that his administration was working diligently on balancing our District budget. They were looking for unused funding to help pay for District employee raises. He thought the budget might be balanced in the next year or two. But...

After entering this week’s two-game series against arch-rival Santa Monica High School unbeaten and tied for the Ocean League lead, Culver City played hard again yesterday, but several lapses undid the Centaurs, who lost 7-4 in Santa Monica after dropping the opener at home on Tuesday, 3-1.