District, Teachers Agree to Furlough Days

students and employees may see up to 17 furlough days during the 2012-2013 school year if neither of two tax initiatives on the November pass, the Easy Reader reported last week.

A memorandum of understanding forged between RBUSD and the Redondo Beach Teachers Association tentatively calls for up to five furlough days for the upcoming school year if either measure passes, according to Easy Reader reporter Chelsea Sektnan.

This will be the first time during this budget crisis that the school district will experience furloughs.

The two measures on the ballot—Proposition 30 and Proposition 38—both call for tax increases to support schools. Proposition 30, introduced by Gov. Jerry Brown, calls for a quarter-cent increase in the state sales tax and raises taxes on the state's top earners. Molly Munger's Proposition 38 increases state income tax rates for most Californians for 12 years.

RBUSD and the RBTA met more than a half-dozen times to work out an agreement on the furlough days.

In addition to hoping that at least one of the two tax measures benefiting education on November's ballot pass, the district also hopes that Redondo Beach residents will pass a $63 million bond to help indirectly close RBUSD's $2 million budget shortfall.

The bond, which the Board of Education voted unanimously to place on November's ballot, will pay for classroom technology and solar panels. Bond monies cannot be used to pay for teacher salaries and other general fund expenses.

If the bond measure passes, taxpayers will pay about $24 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually.

• Full story: RBUSD and RBTA Agree [Easy Reader]