Teacher Furloughs Would Mean Two Fewer School Days

Last Article Update: Friday, May 7, 5:30 p.m.

Furlough days are in the future for some school district employees, as the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and teachers' union work together to save the jobs of teachers and other employees.

The district sent out notices of possible layoffs in March to employees credentialed to work with students--mostly teachers. The deadline for determinition of actual layoffs is May 15.

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District and San Ramon Valley Education Association announced a tentative contract agreement today for the 2010-11 school year. School district spokesman Terry Koehne said ratification is anticipated by the bargaining unit members today.

Though this is certainly better than widespread job losses, Koehne said, it remains a difficult situation.

"All of our employees are going to have to deal with less money in their pockets next year," he said, "and no one is celebrating that."

School Board member Ken Mintz said notices went out to about 170 employees in March, roughly 130 of whom are full-time.

"We're hoping to be able to rescind most of them," Mintz said this morning at a meeting in Danville. "We realize this is an untenable situation for a lot of folks. Many members of the teaching staff are worried about themselves and their co-workers."

As part of the agreement, San Ramon Valley Education Association "Bargaining Unit Members" will take four furlough days, two instructional days and two staff development (non-student) days.

All employees taking four furlough days translates to $3 million in savings next year, said Koehne.

A subcommittee will be formed to revise the District's 2010-11 instructional calendar by May 30.

The agreement also states the district will maintain middle and high school staffing and counseling staffing ratios at the 2009-10 level.

"Given the state's current economic situation, we believe that we have reached an equitable agreement that is good for employees and good for the district," said Superintendent Steven Enoch. "Preserving jobs has always been our highest priority throughout this process, and I am hopeful that these employee concessions will allow us to rescind the vast majority of our layoff notices."

In today's press release, Koehne said that the district and the San Ramon Valley Education Association will continue to discuss the process of reinstatement of furlough days should the district's finances improve.

The district previously reached agreement with its other three bargaining units, settling on "up to five employee furlough days" for the 2010-11 school year.

School Board member Mintz said, historically, the district has "always been below state funding averages," but that community members have stepped in to pick up the slack and keep the level of education high. 

Even with the community support, however, the vast majority of school funding comes through the state.

"We're a ward of the state," Mintz said. "When the state sneezes, we get the cold."

For more on the school budget crisis, read our Patch Primer.