Re “Teachers Union to Vote Next Week on ‘Excellent’ Agreement”
[img]1705|right|Mike Reynolds||no_popup[/img]Seldom heard words you suspected you would not hear before your hundredth birthday:
“Financially, the School District is in excellent shape,” said a smiling Asst. Supt. Mike Reynolds before heading into last evening’s road tour debut School Board meeting at La Ballona Elementary.
“I mean, really excellent shape,” said the Irishman.
Wasn’t poverty yesterday?
How did it go away?
“It happened through the voters passing Prop. 30 a year ago last November,” less than two weeks after Mr. Reynolds arrived at his new position on Irving Place in Culver City. “It also happened through the Board being very, very conservative, saving for a rainy day.”
Interestingly, Teachers Union President David Mielke used the same term, “excellent,” on Dec. 6 to characterize the earlier than usual agreement – starting with a 2.5 percent retroactive salary increase – his union reached with the District.
“One of our top priorities,” Mr. Reynolds said, “is to make sure we keep our good employees, and that we attract qualified employees. To do that, we have to offer a competitive compensation package.
“Our salaries are right around the median in Los Angeles County. Half the districts are above us and half are below us.
“In a few months, the County will come out with their annual survey. We will know a little more then.”
Mr. Reynolds says the School District strives for three objectives:
• “One is to maintain at least a 5 percent reserve.
• “Another is to strive for a balanced budget.
• “Third, we want to make sure we have raised our employee compensation to the median level of L.A. County school districts.”
Mr. Reynolds noted that all three goals have been met.
“We ended last year with a balanced budget,” he said. “We have ‘way more than a 5 percent reserve, and we made every effort to insure that our employees are at the middle, and things are looking good.”
On the Road
Supt. Dave LaRose says the School Board’s next scheduled stop on its goodwill tour of the community schools is Farragut Elementary on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
