Little Lake City School District superintendent moves up his departure date amid teachers' strike

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. (CNS) -- The superintendent of the Little Lake City School District has moved up his departure date to Monday, according to the union representing the district's striking teachers.

Jonathan Vasquez had previously said he would leave in the summer, according to the Little Lake Education Association. There was no immediate response to a message left at the district headquarters after the close of business Friday seeking to confirm the union announcement.

The strike began April 16 after 94% of union members voted to authorize a strike.

Union officials said the dispute centers on proposed midyear healthcare changes that could increase some employees' monthly costs to as much as $1,400, which they contend amounts to a pay cut.

The union is also seeking smaller class sizes and more support for special education programs.

The two sides last met Thursday, beginning at 10 a.m., with the district presenting "a comprehensive written proposal at 12:23 p.m., district officials said.

According to an "update for our school community" released by the district Thursday, the district's proposal includes six options for healthcare for teachers, with the district offering to pay 85%-90%, depending on the plan. Five of the options require larger class sizes, according to the district.

The union gave the district its first counter-proposal at 7:42 p.m. At 9:41 p.m., "LLEA left the table," the district said. No further negotiations are scheduled.

Educators in the Little Lake City School District officially walked out after months of what union officials called stalled contract negotiations.

The district said "even with the class size increases listed in some of the plans, class sizes would still be smaller than most neighboring school districts."

The district warned in the update, "if we overspend the state can take over and that would mean losing local control over your children's education."

The union is also seeking to recall all five members of the Board of Education of the district, which is headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, serves students in portions of Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk and a small part of Downey.