CLASSROOMS WITHOUT TEACHERS?
The Story: Teachers may walk out of their classrooms after February if they can’t come to a contract agreement with the Hemet Unified School District. What could happen in 2015: The dispute centers on salary and class sizes. Teachers are being offered a 4 percent raise, retroactive to the previous school year, and $1,500 each toward benefits. Educators, who say they are among the lowest paid in the county, want 6 percent raises and a cap on the number of students in each classroom. What’s next: The sides are in the final stage of negotiations, called fact finding. A report will go to the Hemet school board, which can accept the report or reject it and impose its latest offer on employees. Why it matters: If teachers strike, many parents have threatened to keep their children out of class, which would cost the district money, as schools are funded based on average attendance. The district would likely not have enough teachers to cover all the classes, affecting what the students who do show up are taught. Quote: “HTA is extremely disappointed in the district’s failure to remain competitive with our members’ salaries, as we rank 28 out of 30 when compared to the surrounding districts,” said Hemet Teachers Association President Robert Hudson.