By Joan Garvin

Los Altos School District Trustees approved ratification of a new 2-year contract for teachers among a host of items at their Dec. 11 meeting.

Laura Bence, Los Altos Teachers’ Association president, formally presented the ratification of the negotiating agreement to the board. Requesting board concurrence, Superintendent Marge Gratiot said, “This is the most important thing we do during the year.”

The contract calls for a 10 percent raise effective Jan. 1 with an additional 6 percent raise, plus the standard cost-of-living allowance (COLA) for the 2001-2002 school year.

In other action, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dick Liewer announced the results of the final API scores reported Dec. 7 by the California Department of Education. As reported in the Town Crier Dec. 13, Egan and Blach again ranked first and second in the state, differing only in their order this year.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Randall Kenyon distributed a hefty 2000-01 first period interim financial report for review. He explained that the County Office of Education requires each school board to examine their district’s plans to achieve a balanced budget. The board issued a vote of confidence that district strategies could maintain fiscal responsibility.

Gratiot received a quick 5-0 approval for a special education mandated cost settlement. As its part of the settlement of a lawsuit against the state, LASD was awarded a lump sum payment of $170,000 this year with an additional $170,000 pro-rated over the next 10 years.

In order for the money to be dispensed, 90 percent of the districts must sign the settlement.