Paso Robles teachers’ paychecks slashed

March 23, 2012

By DANIEL BLACKURN

Teachers in the Paso Robles School District will absorb a big paycheck hit this summer after agreeing to help balance the district’s stressed budget.

Teachers’ union president Jim Lynette said a cut of 9.72 percent over the next two years will help schools continue to operate through 2014. Individual teachers will give up several thousand dollars from their last three paychecks of the school year.

“The coming months will be extremely difficult for our membership and their families,” Lynett said. “This year’s pay cut is retroactive to the beginning of the school year.”

Each teacher will lose $750 to $900 from their last three checks, he said.

No administrative positions are to be cut, according to current plans, but teachers’ ranks will shrink by nearly 20 percent. Lynett said 33 district teachers have been laid off, and 28 full or part time temporary positions have been eliminated.

A budget shortage of $1.59 million created the emergency, according to district officials, and it came as a surprise after the unveiling of the district’s current $55 million spending plan.

“I don;t get it,” said Paso Robles High School history teacher Robert Skinner. “They (administrators) almost drive the district into bankruptcy, yet teachers get the layoff notices.”


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These are difficult times and if anyone seriously believes we are in recovery mode better think again. I do want to interject that the teachers are working less for the less pay, so in reality, you are getting something for your less pay. As for administration, they too, should be sharing the pain of all this and anyone that feels the administrator should just get a pass on this better rethink this inept administrator who is driving or district to bankruptcy. Most American citizens are still in economic pain and I think this will continue as long as we continue to stick out heads in the sand and continue down the path of destruction with rules, regulations, taxes, and lack of leadership. This problem belongs to each one of us that allow it to continue.


Students are getting less for less pay. NOONE on earth would argue that what Paso students need to complete in a global economy is less schooling. I am sure students love it though.


Thank God we didn’t lose any Administrators or see cuts there. Plenty of fat and waste in the teaching salaries. Good job !!! Let’s see those Administrative salaries and benefits go up in the next budget cycle. Way to go, Guys !!!


What happened to “share the pain”? What happens to the teachers should happen to the Administrators!

I think the people of Paso Robles should grab their pitchforks and torches and head to the School Administration bldg ASAP!


Share the pain also works when you say the teachers need to feel what those of us in the private sector have felt for several years now. I agree administration needs to be cut but by no means are teachers the only ones suffering. It’s just they are going to suffer now along with those of us who have been suffereing for several years


kayaknut,


Quit your whining and join a UNION the next time you look for employment, okay? Don’t begrudge those who earn a decent living wage and have protections granted to them by their UNION. Especially teachers, who are underpaid as it is for their profession.


For those who continue to want to “privatize” everything, and still believe in this “trickle down theory BS”, look around you! Is it working? NO! As Kayaknut proposes, it’s not working in their private sector job!


Your right it will never work as long as the biggest employer in the state of California is the government.


Too me it seems the whinning is being done by the teachers. I’ve not really said anything about the cuts in my choosen profession, just pointed out the cuts and adjustments were done years ago to compensate for the changes in the economy, and that many professions supported by tax dollars were artificially kept going hoping things would get better, and now that they haven’t cuts are needed. The teachers whin that administrators aren’t suffering the cuts, and you tell me to join the union why not tell the teachers to become administrators? Privatize can work when done correctly but our government never seems to be able to figure out how to do that.


What “privatizing”? All I see is crony collectivism going on. HUGE difference!


The free market does not cause economic problems. It is simply a means of making the most of the exchange of economic resources in the best, most efficient way possible, thereby maximizing prosperity for the most people.


Crooks, both inside and outside the government, have perverted and subverted the free market, transforming it into the crony, phony collectivist system that we now have.


No wonder it isn’t working! It’s NOT a free market!


With all the teacher layoffs, how does the Paso Robles Superintendent of Schools still have a job. Isn’t she the one that can’t find the missing 1.3 mil of school money?


” “This year’s pay cut is retroactive to the beginning of the school year.”


Each teacher will lose $750 to $900 from their last three checks, he said” ”


Pathetic. This will only hurt the Paso economy even more. These teachers might lose their homes over this. I can understand not giving raises for now, I even get hiring teachers at a lower scale but taking away from the current teachers just isn’t fair to their families.


The arrogance of the administration is beyond belief. It’s the sign of a corrupt school admin when they protect their own ranks and fire teachers. How can the admin justify cutting nothing but teachers? Does anyone know if the pay cuts are applied to administrative employees also?


All employees will receive the same cut 3% this year, 6% next.


“I don;t get it,” said Paso Robles High School history teacher Robert Skinner. “They (administrators) almost drive the district into bankruptcy, yet teachers get the layoff notices.”


Yes Robert, just like those “evil” corporations.


Don’t believe anything Hiram posts, right Limited Government?


Off topic troll is off topic.


Also no, not ever.


Right.