School board to consider $55 million budget

At a special meeting on June 25, Ramona Unified School District trustees are scheduled to approve a $55 million budget for the 2015-16 year that will start July 1.

The proposed budget includes raises for teachers, administrators and supervisors. Negotiations continue for a contract for the district’s support staff, represented by Chapter 733 of the California School Employees Association.

The special meeting will be in the Wilson Administrative Center Board Room, 720 Ninth St., at 6 p.m. The complete agenda of the meeting is on the district’s website, www.ramonausd.net.

Trustees heard details of the proposed budget from Assistant Superintendent David Ostermann last Thursday. The spending plan calls for $55 million in revenue and $52.9 million in expenses.

The district’s 2015-16 contract with Ramona Teachers Association, approved by 99 percent of association members voting, includes a salary increase of 3 percent for years 1 through 15 and 2.5 percent for years 18 through 30. Teachers will work 30 years rather than the previous 35 years to reach the highest salary on the schedule, and what previously were stipends for earning a master’s and doctorate will be included as salary.

The contract also calls for the district, which now pays 90 percent of health benefit premiums, to pay 85 percent. Teachers enrolled in the health benefit program will pay 15 percent, effective July 1. They now pay 10 percent.

“It also includes class size language regarding TK-3 at each of the school sites,” Assistant Superintendent Tony Newman said.

A contract for district administrators and supervisors is “equivalent but not equal to the teachers’ settlement,” Supt. Robert Graeff, Ed.D., said. Management and supervisory employees will receive a 3.43 percent raise. They will make the same contribution to health benefits as teachers.

Trustees approved the contracts with four votes. Trustee John Rajcic voted present, saying, “I know I’m not going to change it, but the lock-step salary schedule is very difficult for me to support, because I think it destroys initiative, it destroys creativity, and it destroys a little bit of uncertainty.”

In a 3-1-1 vote, trustees approved a restructured salary schedule for the district’s superintendent and assistant superintendents. The change, which the California State Teachers Retirement System approved for 2015 only, allows districts to move stipends to salary and will not cost the district more, said Graeff.

Trustee Bob Stoody voted no, and Rajcic voted present. Stoody called the restructuring disingenuous and said the district lost options for future years and he is frustrated with the focus on retirement.

“Let’s just think about the kids...more than about our retirement,” he said.