Teachers receive salary increase

Teachers and staff in Oak Park will receive a 6.25 percent raise, the largest salary increase in at least three years.

An increase in health benefits also was approved by the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education at its December meeting. Annual health coverage jumped from a cap of about $11,000 to $13,183.

The raise and health coverage changes are retroactive to July and will cost the district more than $1 million this fiscal year.

The changes affect teachers, administration, campus supervisors, cafeteria employees, custodians, office staff and some others.

The raises may seem larger than normal due to several factors, according to district Superintendent Tony Knight. In the past three years employee salary increases have been low. Last year's were 3 percent, the prior year's 1.5 percent and zero the year before.

The raises, officials said, were necessary in order to meet state cost-of-living adjustment requirements. The figures are consistent with raises awarded by neighboring districts, Knight added. The Conejo Valley and Simi Valley districts increased salaries by 5.5 percent; Moorpark teachers received a 6 percent increase.

"Past years haven't been so good, so many districts like ours are making up for it the best they can," Knight said.

This is the final year of a three-year contract agreement between the district and two unions that represent Oak Park teachers and staff--Oak Park Teachers Association and Oak Park Classified Association.

Both organizations' entire contracts will be open for bargaining in 2007-08.

"The raise is consistent with the Oak Park moral imperatives, goals and action plans that make compensation of our employees a priority," Knight said.