San Ysidro teachers, district seek common ground

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Striking teachers and officials with the San Ysidro School District were negotiating today in an attempt to resolve the three-day-old job action.

The teachers walked off the job Wednesday after talks broke down over a new contract. They rejected a last-ditch offer of a 1.5 percent pay raise in exchange for adding one day to the school year and five minutes to each day.

Reports indicated that negotiations, via phone, were underway.

Earlier today, a few hundred parents who were demonstrating in favor of the teachers poured into the main hallway of the district headquarters building to demand an end to the strike.

A handful of demonstrators and a bunch of students were still outside the building late in the afternoon. According to media reports, between 40 percent and 50 percent of students have not been attending class since the strike began.

A large portion of district revenue is based on attendance, so students staying out of school will cost a significant amount of money.

The last offer by the district that was made public was a significant change from plans to impose a 6.5 percent pay cut.

“I would’ve wanted to see a raise that’s actually a raise, not a raise that’s dependent on us working more days because then that’s not really a raise,” an unidentified teacher told Fox5 San Diego.

The district says an enrollment drop of 200 students this year requires budget cuts. The interim superintendent, George Cameron, did not return a phone call seeking comment.