Nov 28, 2007 7:57 am US/Pacific
LAUSD To Spend Up To $18M To Retain Teachers
Money Will Be Used To Keep Current Staff At Schools With Declining Enrollment
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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Superintendent David Brewer warned that retaining current teacher staffing at schools with declining enrollment could create financial problems.
CBS
L.A. school board members voted to spend up to $18 million to retain current teacher staffing at schools with declining enrollment, even after Superintendent David Brewer warned it could create financial problems.
The vote Tuesday came amid pressure from the teachers union and community groups, which have long argued that a midyear reshuffling of classrooms and teachers unacceptably disrupts thousands of students, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The looming teacher reduction was along several budget-balancing measures adopted earlier this year at Brewer's recommendation. That budget was approved by the previous school board, but a new majority, endorsed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, took control in July.
Since then, the board has added expenses and tried to undo key cuts in the $6.2 billion budget, according to The Times. Those expenses include more than $30 million in benefits for part-time cafeteria workers and $37 million that Brewer said was needed to fix the malfunctioning payroll system.
Brewer warned yesterday against further spending increases, advising board members to wait two weeks until the district's budget picture was clearer and adding that a pending analysis could show the district was running a deficit, The Times reported.
Board of Education President Monica Garcia commended Brewer and Chief Financial Officer Joseph Zeronian for their prudence but dismissed their concerns.
Financially, she said in remarks reported by The Times, "We are strong. I want our academic record to look as strong as our financial one... My job as a board member is to put resources where they best serve students."
The school district also hired the public relations firm Rogers Group to focus exclusively on dealing with fallout from an electronic payroll system that has left thousands of employees underpaid or overpaid since February, according to the Daily News.
The recent hirings come in addition to a six-person communications staff with a nearly $1.4 million budget, an overall $10 million communications budget, and a separate consulting contract with Darry Sragow, who helps LAUSD develop communications strategies and policy issues, the newspaper reported.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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