FUESD, union agree to bonus for teachers

The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) and the Fallbrook Elementary Teachers Association (FETA) have come to an agreement for teachers’ contracts through June 2013.

At a recent board meeting, the FUESD board of trustees voted to approve the agenda item, which assistant superintendent Dennis Bixler said was part of a “collaborative process.”

“Things went very well through the negotiations process. There weren’t any real concessions that the district asked for; in fact, we were not in a situation where we could ask for concessions from teachers,” he said. “We have made this agreement so that [teachers] can see we really do appreciate them and their hard work.”

According to Bixler, FETA and the board agreed to a three percent, one-time off salary schedule bonus, which will be implemented this month. According to the tentative agreement, “the off-schedule adjustment is to be prorated for any unit member hired after Oct. 3, 2011, but prior to the date of approval by the governing board of this agreement.”

“That’s a one time payment,” said Bixler. “Beyond that, we have included a contingency in the contract that allows us [the district] to take into consideration the state’s current financial situation before allowing for any ongoing salary schedule increase.”

In addition to the one time adjustment, the agreement allowed for a two percent salary schedule pay increase for the 2012-2013 school year, with some contingencies.

The last salary schedule increase provided in the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District was three percent provided to employees in 2007-08.

Bixler stated that if things “do not go well” in the November election and the governor’s proposed 2012-2013 budget-related ballot measure does not pass, then negotiations might reopen. If the ballot measure fails and the funded base revenue limit per average daily attendance is less than $4492, then the district may reopen negotiations to address compensation and other related economic impacts.

“The district has been very conservative and cautious, especially in the last four years,” said Bixler. “We have been making cuts in that time, and it is because of our very conservative budget that we are able to come up with this modest increase and one time increase. The board wanted to recognize the teachers’ everyday hard work, and show them that the employees are a priority for the school district.”

Bixler stated that classified employees and management have not begun negotiations on the contract, and believes that it will open in the summer.

“We have a fantastic relationship with the association,” he said.

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