Question: I am hoping you can help my memory on a topic, the Culver City School Board and their healthcare benefits.
I recall a few years your newspaper tracked this issue daily. I vaguely remember how long it took for members to reimburse the CCUSD for the benefit.
When I read City Councilman Scott Malsin's recent essays, the healthcare topic came to my mind. I am interested in seeing how it plays out with the seated City Council and bargaining units.
However, I can't recall the final outcome with the School District.
Can you give me the Reader's Digest version?
School Board watchdog George Laase responds: “No School Board member reimbursed the District for previous years of over-payments on his or her healthcare. One Board member announced, tongue-in-cheek, that he had reimbursed the District $25 for a shirt it provided him at the Fiesta.
“Around 2000, the state started taxing stipends of university teaching assistants and school board members. It was reported that some Board members allegedly bought clothes with their stipends.
“Stipend-use has evolved from the days it was spent on paper and Board members’ office expenses.
“Scott Zeidman now is dangling his $2500 stipend (after taxes) in front of the electorate, saying, ‘Elect me and I will give it to the Education Foundation’s All for 1 fundraising campaign.’
“In the end, not one penny of the $67K District overpayments ever were reimbursed by the offending Board members.
It was Scott Zeidman, in his second year on the Board, who got only a Board consensus, not an actual vote, on showing the Board Quarterly Report publicly.
“I wanted monthly, but I compromised.
“It is not written in the Board Policy that it has to be shown publicly.
“As soon as I stop asking for it, it will quickly and quietly fade out of the public view. That is, until some inquisitive community member finds future Board doing the same old accounting gimmicks and hiding their healthcare costs once again.”
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
