Het verhaal
The Palo Alto Daily Post published Sunday that the teachers’ union wants Palo Alto Unified to audit spending on administrators and consultants before any cuts that hit classroom instruction. Union president Tom Culbertson said state law requires at least 55% of a district budget on teacher pay and benefits; Palo Alto is at 57.9%, and “the other side of the equation” is out of balance.
Culbertson is pushing back on the idea that last June’s labor contracts — a 10.4% raise over two years plus $10,000 bonuses — explain a proposed $33 million in cuts next school year. Board member Shounak Dharap said the board approved the deals to avoid a strike as a new superintendent arrived, and at an Aug. 18 meeting said “we’re going to have to fire people.” Culbertson called that premature.
Superintendent Jason Glass said the district will try to avoid layoffs by leaving jobs unfilled and reassigning staff. He has already skipped some district-office posts, saving $748,282. Culbertson praised that as a break from former superintendent Don Austin adding administrators while enrollment fell.