Manhattan Beach Teachers, District Reach Pay Accord

MANHATTAN BEACH —  The Manhattan Beach Unified School District and the Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Assn. have reached a tentative two-year salary agreement that would give teachers a pay raise of 8.9%.

Teachers association members are expected to ratify the agreement this week, moving their base pay from $35,500 to $37,800 a year. The highest salaries would move from $63,600 to $72,000.

Deputy School Superintendent Scott Smith said the contract would give the district the option of expanding teachers’ 2001 work year from 183 to 184 days, but such a move would be accompanied by another 0.5% pay increase.

As negotiations dragged on through September and early October, district teachers cut back all but their basic duties, canceling class meeting nights and weekend college visits for students. Their contract prohibits them from striking.

Both the teachers union and the district expressed relief that the bargaining had ended successfully and lauded the professionalism of negotiators on both sides.