Marysville teachers to question district finances

Marysville Joint Unified School District teachers will wear black tonight when a union representative raises budget-related matters. But Frank Crawford, a district trustee, says instructors concerned about morale may need to know more school district history.

When Marc Liebman, Superintendent Gay Todd's predecessor, held the top administrative post, staff members would bolt into rooms to avoid meeting him in the hallway, Crawford said.

Alfred Richard Corl, a former information technology director for the school district, was convicted in 2007 of embezzlement after using eBay to sell computer equipment belonging to the Marysville school district, Crawford recounted.

"They don't know what bad morale is," Crawford said of current teachers. "They're welcome to call me and I'll explain it to them."

Inge Schlussler, the teachers union vice president, has said employee morale is poor, and will ask about pay for district administrators when Marysville Joint Unified trustees meet tonight. The teachers union contends the trustees approved a pay spike in July for Todd and two other administrators.

The school district disputes that such a salary increase took place.

Crawford praised Todd's performance.

"She's excelled in people interaction, especially with the teachers and management," Crawford said.

He added that the superintendent does have some nice benefits as part of her compensation, but said, "You get what you pay for."

Marysville Joint Unified is one of the few school districts in the state to still increase teacher salaries based on years of employment and education, the trustee said.

"The union will argue until it's blue in the face that that's not a pay raise," Crawford said. "It's still extra money."

Schlussler couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

Teachers union president Steve White said instructors are interested in district finances, including forecasts that predict a more dire status than Marysville Joint Unified actua ly faces.

"We've got a lot of teachers who are fired up to see what we can to solve these problems," White said.

"The pain is not being shared," he said. "The cuts that they make are always close to the classroom."

Most of the trustees are former teachers, but that has not helped instructors with pay and other issues, White said. The school board serves as a rubber stamp for the district administration, White stated.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the district boardroom at 1919 B St. in Marysville.

CONTACT Ryan McCarthy at rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADrmccarthy or on Twitter at @ADrmccarthy.