Fiscally Healthier College District OKs Pay Increases

The Los Angeles Community College District received encouraging news from a financial audit Wednesday and promptly approved pay raises between 6% and 10% for most of its 4,500 teachers and clerks.

The nine-college district is in “significantly” better financial health than three years ago, according to the audit by the Peat Marwick Main & Co. accounting firm.

Between June, 1985, and last June, the district’s general fund account has gone from a $2.3-million deficit to a positive balance of $18.7 million mainly due to cost-cutting and increases in state lottery funds, the report said.

However, officials stressed that almost all of the $18.7 million is committed to this year’s programs.

With that audit in hand, the district trustees unanimously approved pay increases for the second year of three-year contracts with the two local units of the American Federation of Teachers. Union leaders said they expect their membership to ratify the agreements, which will go into effect next month.

Most of the 3,600 teachers are to receive pay raises of 6% and the average increase for the clerical and technical employees will be 9%, according to the unions. Last year’s raises ranged from 7% to 13%, but there had been no pay hikes for the preceding two years.

The settlements mark the first ones under Chancellor Donald G. Phelps, who took over in September. Both sides said the negotiations were unusually amicable.

During the meeting at Los Angeles Southwest College, Phelps said the audit “certainly reflects that this district is on the way back.”

The audit, however, also urged the district to improve its computer data systems, tracking of student enrollment and some accounting procedures.