Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teacher-union president says district repeatedly sought exemptions from 55% salary rule; trustees do not immediately respond
Summary
A teacher and union president told trustees the district repeatedly received exemptions from Education Code 41372 and alleged that the practice cost teachers about $2.6 million over five years; the board did not take immediate action during the public comment period.
Mike Ephraim, president of the Healdsburg Area Teachers Association and a Healdsburg High School teacher, presented a handout to trustees and alleged repeated noncompliance with Education Code 41372, which he described as a legal requirement that at least 55% of education expenditures be for current employees’ salaries and benefits.
"Ed code 41372 stipulates that a minimum of 55% of the expense of education be towards salaries and benefits of current employees," Ephraim said, adding that he reviewed five years of audits and found the district repeatedly applied for and was granted exemptions that, he estimated, resulted in "over $2,600,000 in lost wages and benefits" for teachers. He urged trustees to stop what he described as "dishonest skirting of the law." The comment prompted clarification questions from trustees but no immediate formal direction or response by the board during public comment.
Ephraim said exemptions the district has cited — retiree benefits and special education funding — do not qualify to be counted toward the 55% calculation. He asked trustees to review the audit report and the categories the auditor lists as eligible to be recounted. District staff and trustees acknowledged receipt of the complaint and discussed follow‑up procedures, but the record does not show a formal investigatory vote at the meeting.
