Schools

New Haven Classified Employees Approve Pay Cut, Furloughs

The New Haven Teachers Association and New Haven Administrators Association approved the 1-percent pay cut and additional furlough days last month.

From the New Haven Unified School District:

Classified employees have voted to approve a reduced workyear and an additional 1-percent pay cut, to help mitigate cuts forced on the New Haven Unified School District because of the ongoing state budget crisis.

Members of the California School Employees Association – which represents secretaries, custodians, bus drivers and other classified employees – voted 89-29 last week to approve the same adjustments to their existing contract that .

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“I am grateful to our classified employees for their willingness to make this sacrifice,” Superintendent Kari McVeigh said. “For the sake of our students, every employee in our District is giving up nine days’ pay in 2012-13, and taking the additional 1 percent paycut, and I hope our community recognizes and appreciates these efforts.”

The agreements with NHTA, CSEA and NHAA will enable to District to continue to offer middle school electives such as music and art and retain most of the elementary school specialists who teach science, music and physical education. About 25 percent of library services will be maintained at the secondary level, and two-thirds of the funding will be provided for stipends for after-school activities such as athletics, band and forensics.

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The school year will remain at 175 days, the same as in 2011-12 but five days fewer than in previous years. Teachers will give up four additional workdays: two days of preparation time at the beginning of the school year, a midyear grading day and one day at the end of the year. Classified employees and administrators also will give up the four additional workdays.

Chief Business Officer Akur Varadarajan emphasized that the District could be forced to make additional cuts to the budget if California voters reject Proposition 30, a temporary income and sales tax increase proposed by Gov. Brown that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot.


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