District, teachers agree on two issues The...

District, teachers agree on two issues

The Laguna Beach School District came to a tentative agreement

with teachers over salary and benefits issues according to Assistant

Supt. Steven Keller

The two things discussed at Tuesday’s school board meeting were

any salary increase and the cost of health care and health benefits

related to any salary increase.

“It all comes out of one pot,” Keller said. “Salary and health

care benefits are cost related.”

He said they agreed to a 1% increase to the Laguna Beach Unified

Faculty Assn. retroactive to July 1, 2003, and also agreed to a

transition to the Blue Shield PPO to maintain their Kaiser plan.

“The new Blue Shield PPO plan actually has some added benefits

that our previous plan does not,” Keller said. “It’s actually a

better plan ... [it] had a favorable benefit package.”

“I think it’s a fair and generous settlement,” Keller said. “The

district and Laguna Beach Unified Faculty Assn. will continue to

dialogue about other minor issues relevant to the contract.”

He said the tentative agreement has been signed and the board and

superintendent are pleased to have it signed.

Teacher and President of Laguna Beach Unified Faculty Assn. Dawn

Mirone said that they are still in negotiations but have ratified the

parts of the contract dealing with salary and health insurance.

Teachers can sign up with Blue Shield and be covered from April 1

on.

“Our other insurance is probably going into bankruptcy,” Mirone

said. “It’s a positive move for teachers, other employees and the

district.”

District discusses businesses, students

Supt. Theresa Daem discussed the Dignity, Appreciation, Respect

for Treating Students Committee ) at Tuesday’s joint meeting between

the city and the school district.

“DARTS is an organized effort to honor and recognize businesses

that treat students with respect as far as the social and emotional

wellbeing [of students,] Daem said. “Not all businesses have the same

enthusiasm for students.”

The committee has decided to look at Laguna businesses on a

quarterly basis and see who recognizes and honors them and teaches

them with dignity and respect.

“We’ll ask students for nominees and vote,” Daem said.

Parent Howard Hills asked how DARTS was formed and said it had the

appearance of an ad hoc committee.

“Why not go through the student government, is one of the issues

the students and parents are concerned about,” Hill said. “I’d rather

see the student body president represent this to the community

instead of the superintendent.”