FWB: SMUHSD Antes Up

The Daily Journal has a piece on teacher negotiations that notes

Teachers in the San Mateo Union High School District are getting a raise for the second year in a row, which the district says will help offset rising health care costs.  At a meeting Thursday night, the district voted 4-1 to give teachers a 5 percent raise for this school year, costing $2,367,500.

Click through and read the whole piece to get a sense that the SMUHSD Trustees voting was not quite that strongly in favor.  And if I'm reading this Board page correctly, there was one absent or abstaining.

Although Trustee Stephen Rogers voted in favor of the agreement, he takes issue with how the negotiation process is run. He said he couldn’t go into detail, as some of the process took place in closed session.

“Our teachers do a great job,” Rogers said. “My disagreement was with how the process worked. There are a host of things we’ve got to get better on [for negotiations]. I wish the process was different, with some chances on both sides.

I know at least one trustee reads the Voice regularly, so perhaps we can get just a bit more info.

 

 

Comments

[James]

That is a lot of money any way you look at it. I would be happy to get 5% in over two years. What is really going on here when the raises get so good?

[Joe]

Today's SacBee notes:

CalSTRS said Thursday that its long-term funding shortfall has risen to $73.7 billion, a stark reminder of the financial issues facing the teachers’ pension fund.

[Joe]

I'm not sure we should consider 875 Mahler as "bayfront property" but aside from that, this DJ article is interesting:

A long quest to find a new location for its administrative office may be nearing an end as officials as San Mateo Union High School District officials are exploring the purchase of more than two acres of land on the Burlingame Bayfront.

The Board of Trustees will meet Thursday, April 16, to discuss potentially buying the parcel at 875 Mahler Road in Burlingame.

The discussion takes place as officials consider how to balance remaining capital resources with how to best serve employees, as well as students enrolled in the alternative Peninsula High School and the special education program.

Liz McManus, district deputy superintendent of business services, said the board will hold an open conversation regarding the district’s interest in purchasing the Burlingame property before taking action.

Board President Marc Friedman said the board is expected to take final action on a decision whether to purchase the property at its board meeting next week.

The district has more than $78 million in various capital improvement funds, more than half of which were born from the $186 Measure O bond passed by voters in 2010, that need to be allocated to address a variety of facility needs.

The Crown Building at Mahler Road offers 58,000 square feet of office space, which could be used to house the superintendent’s office, human resources department, curriculum and instruction services and more operations currently headquartered on the north end of the San Mateo High School campus on Delaware Street.

The rest is here: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-04-16/high-school-district-officials-close-in-on-property-purchase-burlingame-parcel-considered-as-new-site-for-district-offices-other-uses-are-possible/1776425141760.html

[citizen]

I recently sat next to Marc at lunch, and I was not alone in noticing his poor table manners. Was it just me or is this his normal technique? Another person at the table notice his rough behavior.

Just a reminder of Jerry Hill's recent Grand Jury investigation into what is essentially bad manners to the public.

I'm not sure if Marc is more of a Bully or a Dork, how did he become board president?

Is it his leftist zealousness?

It's no surprise that he's part of the team.

Perhaps Jerry Hill's Grand Jury investigation of Marc and his board will make a similar conclusion > court ordered class on table manners.

[Word]

http://abc7news.com/education/san-mateo-school-board-blasted-by-senator-community/482211/