Contract talks continue between teachers and school district
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

The Pleasant Valley School District and its teachers union, the Pleasant Valley Education Association, remain at odds over salary and benefits in the latest round of contract talks.

When the two sides got together Oct. 26, negotiators for the 360-member teachers union asked for a 7 percent salary increase and 2 percent more in benefits.

The district countered with a 3 percent raise in salary and a onetime payment of $700 for benefits, what equates to a 4 percent raise in all.

"Do they deserve more? Of course," said Superintendent Luis Villegas. "We don't have those kinds of dollars."

Villegas said that among Ventura County elementary school districts, Pleasant Valley receives the lowest amount of funding for its kindergartenthrougheighthgrade students.

He also said that most of the 4.53 percent cost-of-living adjustment the state gave Pleasant Valley must pay for increased operating costs, such as utilities and other expenses.

"It is spent," he said.

Union President Suzann Zeigler said the district could raise the money for an adequate raise for its teachers by cutting 15 percent from costly programs and even have money to spare.

Zeigler, a social studies teacher, said the district spends money on projects and programs that if cut back, would not affect jobs or classroom operations.

For instance, Pleasant Valley allocates $1.5 million a year to a technology fund. Zeigler said no teacher she's ever talked with has seen a wealth of new computers that kind of money could buy in their classroom.

"If in fact you don't have the money to pay your teachers, you shouldn't be paying money for things that frankly don't impact the classroom," she said.

Zeigler and former interim Superintendent Ken Moffett, who left the district in May, have warned district officials that Pleasant Valley has become a training ground for new teachers.

The district offers a good starting salary for beginning teachers but fails to keep pace with the other 20 school districts in Ventura County for with more experience.

"This is not healthy," Zeigler said. "That is not good for kids."