Seeking an end to the teacher, school district impasse

Break out your calculators. It’s time for a math lesson.

The Petaluma City Schools District and the Petaluma Federation of Teachers are 1.5 percent away from making a deal. The two sides have been at odds for nearly a year, and they must reach a bargain soon in order to start negotiating a renewal of their contract, which expires in June. The sticking point is a cost of living adjustment, which teachers have foregone since the 2007-08 school year.

The union that represents 450 public school teachers opened with a 7 percent pay increase. The district countered with 2 percent. The teachers have since come down to 4 percent, and the district has settled at 2.5 percent. That 1.5 percent difference represents about $450,000 per year. By comparison, the district’s annual budget is $74 million. While a deal seems excruciatingly close, both sides will likely need to make compromises in order to end their impasse.

Petaluma is becoming an increasingly expensive place to live, and teachers are finding it harder to be able to afford to live here, especially when their salaries have not kept up with the cost of living. For its part, the district says it is already spending out of its reserves and will continue deficit spending due to declining student enrollment.

At the end of this school year, there will be a significant shift in personnel at the district. Superintendent Steve Bolman is retiring and there will be a new human resources director among several other administrative changes.

This is a good opportunity for a reset in the relationship between the district and the teacher’s union - a relationship that has become increasingly acrimonious.

A good first step is to finish the negotiations begun a year ago and reach a bargain before the contract expires. Teachers say morale is low, which is not good for our children. Even worse, a majority of teachers say they would resort to a work stoppage if there is no compromise by next school year.

We encourage the district and the union to sharpen their pencils and come to an agreement that both sides can live with by the end of the school year.