MOORPARK : District, Teachers Union OK Contract

After 10 months of negotiation, the Moorpark Unified School District and the local teachers union have reached a tentative settlement on a two-year contract, a union official said Wednesday.

District officials and negotiators for the Moorpark Educators Assn. reached agreement early Tuesday morning after a 10-hour meeting, said Guy Aronoff, vice president of the association.

If approved by the union’s 180 members, the contract would grant teachers a 1% bonus for the 1991-92 school year in lieu of a pay raise, Director of Personnel Yvonne Davis said. But the association would be able to negotiate separately for a pay raise in the 1992-93 school year.

Before accepting the stipend, union negotiators had pushed for a 1% pay raise, because it would benefit teachers who are close to retirement, Aronoff said. Retirement incomes are based on teachers’ salaries during their last three years of service.

However, in addition to the small bonus, teachers who have bilingual teaching certificates or who coordinate certain extracurricular activities will be eligible for more money under the tentative contract.

The settlement would allow the school district to increase the pay scales for certified bilingual teachers by $1,211 to attract more bilingual instructors to Moorpark, Aronoff said.

In addition, the district agreed to spend $20,000 more each year on stipends for teachers who work on extracurricular activities, such as athletics or the yearbook staff.

The association also won the requirement that all new teachers coming into the district join the union and pay the $500 annual dues. About 80% of the district’s 200 teachers now belong to the association.

Union members are expected to vote on the agreement by May 7.