CUSD Special Edition
by Craig Alexander

In October I distributed a letter from concerned Capistrano Unified School District parent Dawn Urbanek about the ongoing negotiations with the teachers unions at CUSD. On Mar. 31, the Board of Trustees at CUSD voted to implement a new contract that calls for roughly 10.1% of cuts, partly in salary, partly in unpaid furlough days and partly in increased health care insurance costs. But the new contract saves teacher jobs and keeps the number of students in each class to a manageable level - i.e., the most important people - the children will not suffer increased class sizes. At this time we do not know if the unions will strike or not.

Some of you reading these words are public school teachers or their spouses or parents. I want you to know that I feel really bad for anyone who is getting a pay cut due to this new contract. Many people in the private sector who have seen their income fall or even lost their jobs feel bad for you and your loved ones too. If I have to point a finger of blame for this, I point it at the state government that took money from the cities, counties and school districts to balance their own budget. I consider this immoral and unjust. I also blame the old corrupt Board of Trustees in the James Fleming era, which spent money like drunken sailors so that the current Reform Trustees inherited a District that was nearly out of money before the state began its cuts.

Given the Mar. 31 passage of the new contract by the Trustees at CUSD, I thought I would re-send Dawn's well researched and well written open letter. One point Dawn makes we should all remember, in the current budget of CUSD approximately 84.55% of the total budget goes to salaries and benefits of employees of the District. That leaves only 15% for the upkeep of the building facilities and for resources in the classrooms (other than the teachers themselves).

Dawn’s letter is a bit of a long read but well worth it to understand that the unions are NOT representing our children in their battles with the new board. If there are any mistakes in spelling, etc. it arises from my copying and pasting, not Dawn's original letter.

I strongly encourage you to forward this message to your friends and encourage them to read it and pass it along to their friends.