BVUSD’s Management and Unions Agree to Seven Furlough Days in 2010/2011 School Year

Big Bear Valley, CA — The Bear Valley Unified School District has come to an agreement with both unions—BVEA, which represents certificated staff members (meaning teachers) and CSEA, the classified employees union (which includes clerical and maintenance personnel)—as of the school district’s special board meeting held this week. As agreed to by both unions, as well as the district’s confidential management employees, all BVUSD staff will have seven furlough days during the 2010/2011 school year, meaning that there will be no school for students or staff and, that said, staff will not be paid for these seven days over the course of the school year, which will still begin on August 3. According to the district’s Director of Personnel Tim Larson, “This is a pretty significant step on the part of all groups.” The financial impact to employees results in about half a percent for each furlough day so, per Larson, the combined result of furlough days implemented in both this current school year and the upcoming school year amounts to an approximate 4½ percent pay cut to all three groups (BVEA, CSEA and management) over the course of two school years. As Larson adds, “We are just hoping this is the last time that the State will impose these deep cuts on our employees and our children.” The final budget for BVUSD’s upcoming school year will be the sole item on the meeting agenda for June 21; an in-depth presentation on the 2010/2011 budget will begin at 5:15pm, in open session, at the school district offices on Moonridge Road, with adoption of this budget planned for the evening of June 23. Larson also tells KBHR that six teachers will be taking retirement incentives at this school year’s end, so that will allow for the rehiring of six teachers from the re-hire list. Those whose retirement notifications have already been announced are teachers Priscilla Alexander, Joyce Carlson, Teresa Lynch, and Mary and Sam Marich; the four teachers who have since been re-hired to continue with BVUSD are Suzy Carpenter, Rachel Edwards, Amy Ellis and Susan Iles.