SVUSD Contract Talks Begin

Salaries could return to pre-budget-cut levels, but Saddleback Valley Unified school employees would pay more for health care under tentative contract proposals for the 2012-13 school year.

During previous negotiations, employees swallowed 10- to 13-percent pay cuts and other concessions totaling $26 million over three years to help the district deal with .

The current contract also makes employees kick in more for health benefits and take unpaid furlough days. Meanwhile, the district has increased class sizes and  in an attempt to shrink .

Restoring old salaries, work schedules and class sizes are possible under the current budget, according to the district’s initial proposal.

However, SVUSD wants to reduce its healthcare expenses on two fronts. It proposes a cap on what the district will pay toward benefits, as well as an increase in the years of service required to receive health benefits after retirement.

Counterproposals from the Saddleback Valley Educators Association, the Saddleback Valley Pupil Services Association and the California School Employees Association seek to reverse salary cuts and get rid of furlough days.

The SVEA, which represents teachers, also wants to keep class sizes down in elementary school combination classes (which serve children in more than one grade). And the union wants SVUSD teachers to get first crack at summer school jobs.

As part of the district's monthly school board meeting on Tuesday, the public can see and chime in on the initial district and union proposals.

The school board meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District Boardroom at 25631 Peter A. Hartmann Way in Mission Viejo. Find the full meeting agenda online.