District/Union Reach Agreement on Salaries and Calendar
School Year Reduced by 4 Days
By: Patte Gilbert
In an attempt to cut budget costs, teachers and district have agreed upon a 5.4% pay reduction. In effect, this will reduce the school year by 4 days.
Last month, the Las Virgenes Unified School District and the Las Virgenes Educators Association approved the changes which protects the current class and program sizes.
“Our Board of Education and teachers’ association have worked collaboratively in trying to find a workable solution that will protect the quality of instructional offerings yet reduce our costs, and save teachers’ and counselors’ jobs,” Superintendent Donald Zimring stated. “This agreement is extraordinary as it demonstrates the commitment of our Board, certificated staff, and management in agreeing to personal sacrifice in order to protect the interests of our students. We are all aware that last minute changes in the school year are disruptive and challenging for parents, staff, and students. he negotiation teams looked at every alternative available and determined that the least costly and disruptive option for this year would be eliminating the instructional days before Memorial Day.”
