Schools

Surprise Agreement Saves Some School District Jobs

Union members are scheduled to meet April 19 to consider ratifying the deal.

A tentative agreement reached Tuesday between school district administration and the classified school employee’s union will save nearly two dozen jobs that had been slated for pink slips. The two sides negotiated a deal that takes five furlough days off the table for 22 workers—but hinges on voters approving tax extensions on the November ballot.

“The beauty of the agreement is if the taxes are passed we have no furlough days, and we save classified jobs,” said Dr. Gina Potter, assistant superintendent of business services.

Members of Lemon Grove 280, the local chapter of the California School Employees Association representing about 200 classified employees in the district, will meet April 19 to consider ratifying the proposal.

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Bargaining talks between the district’s labor negotiators and union representatives ended yesterday with an outcome that was not anticipated. The five-member governing board was scheduled to vote on the layoffs at Tuesday night’s meeting.

“We were floored—in a good way,” said Denise Crano, Lemon Grove 280 chapter president.

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Crano called the tentative agreement “a better-case scenario.”

“It’s not the best-case scenario, but it’s not the worst,” she said. “Some of the jobs won’t be saved yet—but the ones we’re saving now are permanent employees.”

Potter also expressed relief with the outcome of the day's negotiations.

”We were happily surprised,”she said.

The 22 positions saved in the deal include cafeteria playground assistants, media specialists, night custodians, and special education workers. There are 24 other classified positions still on the line.

Facing an expected $4.3 million deficit in the coming school year, the school board for more than 60 teachers and other certificated employees in the Lemon Grove School District. Negotiations are ongoing with the Lemon Grove Teachers Association and CSEA in the hopes of reaching agreements that save jobs.


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