Teachers and other educators in the country's wealthiest ZIP code ended a multi-day strike Saturday night as they sought a "livable wage and fully funded health care."
The Las Lomitas Elementary School District, which oversees two schools in Menlo Park and Atherton, the Las Lomitas Education Association, and the school district confirmed late Saturday that an agreement was reached.
"The District and Las Lomitas Education Association (LLEA) have reached an agreement for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years," said Superintendant Beth Polito in a news release. "The strike has been called off and students and staff should return to their schools per usual starting Monday. LLEA and District Leadership jointly sent this message and expect to work together to ensure a smooth transition back to normalcy."
It is unclear what the agreement entailed, but it comes after educators and the union rejected an offer on Tuesday that later led to the strike.
The district said its latest offer Tuesday evening included a 7% ongoing salary increase, paid retroactively, starting in 2023-24; a 3% ongoing salary increase starting in 2024-25; an extension of the $3,358 "tenure" stipend to all teachers beginning July 1, 2024; and health benefits equal to 100% coverage of a Kaiser individual plan ($14,358) beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
According to the district, the LLEA countered with a request for an 8% ongoing salary increase (paid retroactively) starting in 2023-24; an 8% ongoing salary increase starting in 2024-25; a floating cap of 110% coverage of a Kaiser individual plan beginning Jan. 1, 2025; and removal of the CalPERS fee ($1,812/person) beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
"In an attempt to avert a strike, the district tried to conform as closely as possible to the recommendations in the neutral fact-finding report," district leaders wrote in a letter to the school community Tuesday. "Please note that our offer introduces financial risk that will result in difficult decisions about the district’s budget/reserves moving forward."
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Teachers have argued that they've been working without a contract since July 2023 and that the district has the necessary resources to pay them a competitive wage and provide reliable health care.
Without competitive pay, teachers say they have been forced to leave the district or the profession altogether. It became a catalyst for the strike that started on Tuesday.
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"It’s unbelievable that the wealthiest ZIP code in the United States can’t pay us for the professionals we are and keep us in the district," LLEA Co-President Jennifer Montalvo said in a release Tuesday. "Our students are forced to face a high turnover of their teachers because we are forced to leave the profession we love."
