On the issues

* THE DISTRICT’S BIGGEST CHALLENGES

“Our biggest future challenge for Coast is commitment to quality

classroom education with the ever-increasing pressure for higher

salaries.”

To be competitive in this economy, Ruiz said the district must raise

its entry salaries to attract highly qualified teachers who could make

more money in private enterprise.

“Over the last few years, Coast has been able to raise salaries by

over 20%. We must do even more by petitioning Sacramento for our fair

share of the education dollars.”

* THE DISTRICT’S SPENDING PRACTICES

“Unequivocally, Coast district’s primary commitment is to quality

education and to its students. Our budget reflects that commitment -- 15%

goes to maintenance, supplies and facilities; 82% goes for teacher

salaries and support staff; and 3% goes to pay for administrative costs,

which is a very, very low percentage given the size of Coast’s budget.”