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In The NewsOR: SK might close schools, cut sports, lay off teachersSalem-Keizer School District might eliminate as many as 400 teaching positions, reduce programs such as middle and high school sports and close a handful of small schools next year. 23-Feb-2011, Salem-Kaiser, OR; WILX.com, by Stefanie Knowlton |
CA: Chico, Unions say no to talks on coaches' pay02-May-2011 Chico Enterprise-Record |
| If a solution is found in the funding crisis facing high school sports in Chico, it apparently won't be coming through negotiations between the school district and the faculty union.
Representatives of both the Chico Unified School District and the Chico Unified Teachers Association, which represents the coaches, provided the Enterprise-Record with the letters they exchanged on the topic. At the direction of the CUSD board of trustees, Bob Feaster, assistant superintendent for human resources, sent a letter to Kurt Rix, chair of the bargaining committee for the union, asking if it would be possible to open a discussion on the compensation for coaches. Last October, the CUTA and the CUSD signed a contract that, among other things, closed discussion on compensation for any union employees. According to the contract, talks about compensation can automatically be reopened in February 2012. Feaster told the Enterprise-Record even though nothing is scheduled to happen until then, if both parties agreed, they could reopen negotiations on any part of the contract at any time. Rix responded with a note declining the request to reopen talks. "CUTA appreciates the difficult situation the district has found itself in with regards to athletics ..." said his note. Rix's message goes on to point out the district is expecting a "substantial ending balance" of unexpended funds at the end of the current fiscal year. He also cited what he called "an unreasonable school board stance on continued under-funding" of school activities. "We would encourage the district to fund athletics at a level consistent with its importance, while honoring the language of the mutually agreed upon collective bargaining agreement," wrote Rix. At the March 2 meeting of the CUSD board of trustees, the panel was told that at the end of this school year, Chico and Pleasant Valley high schools will face a combined $207,000 deficit in prep sports funding. At that time, officials from both schools said they could not field their fall sports teams unless something is done about their budget. At the end of the April 21 workshop on prep sports funding, Kathy Kaiser, president of the CUSD board, directed district staff to investigate negotiating some sort of an adjustment in coaches' stipends, or, if that failed, return for the May 18 meeting with a "balanced" athletics budget for the fall. Without additional revenue, a balanced athletics budget will most likely include cuts to programs. |
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