United Teachers of Richmond members are organizing on several fronts in an attempt to prevent the layoff of 467 teachers and the termination of music, performing arts, library and counseling programs, and school sports in the financially troubled West Contra Costa School District.
The situation reached a crisis point following the failure of a parcel tax on the March ballot that would have helped the school system reduce its $16 million budget deficit.
This is the latest blow to a district that nearly faced bankruptcy in 1991 and has been paying back a $1.8 million bailout loan from the state each year since. Currently, the financial ills in the 35,000-student district include escalating special education costs and declining enrollment, which will mean less revenue from the state.
But behind the front-page headlines that focus almost exclusively on the elimination of sports programs, teachers are feeling the pain of receiving yet another round of pink slips. Last year, more than 900 pink slips were issued, but almost all of the teachers were rehired. This year, many of those teachers are getting hit a second time.
"People are asking, 'Why me again?' and questioning whether it's worth it to remain teaching," says UTR President Terri Jackson.
Chapter members are tired of the constant barrage of media reports spotlighting the loss of school sports as if it were the only casualty. When the district announced major cuts, students staged walkouts and parents raised their voices in protest, mostly over the loss of sports programs. The Oakland A's and two area banks came to their rescue, promising financial support to help restore the sports program and, almost as an afterthought, keep school libraries open.
"Everyone understands how important sports programs are," says Jackson, "but there are other programs, like music, that are being cut, and they weren't in the conversation at all. We have librarians who may have to shut down libraries to students, and counselors whose jobs were the first to be threatened. This situation kind of pits employees against each other."
The district is blaming its current financial problems on a previous agreement with the union in which teachers accepted substantially lower salaries in exchange for fully paid health coverage through retirement. In reality, however, the issue of lower salaries versus health benefits is a wash, according to CTA staff. The employees are still costing the district less money, and the district has been consistent in meeting its financial obligations to its retirees.
UTR points out that while the district's total revenue is 3 percent higher than districts of a similar size, the average teacher salary in the district remains 16 percent below that of similar districts. Certificated salaries make up 46 percent of the district's budget, compared with an average of 50 percent for similar districts.
UTR has been looking into the extraordinary amount of money the district spends on outside consultants. Professional consulting services in the district amount to 9 percent of the budget, compared with 5 percent for similar districts. The association is examining the books for other financial irregularities as well, including the amount of money the district is paid by the state for class size reduction.
While these problems swirl around them, UTR members are mobilizing to get a new parcel tax approved through a mail ballot in June. If they succeed, the $8 million a year parcel tax will take care of many of the jobs that have been targeted for elimination.
Dale Martin
