SUNDAY, OCT. 27, 1:18 p.m. — Teachers in the Las Lomitas School District will return to work tomorrow after reaching a contract that calls for a 16% raise over three years and fully-funded health insurance, the teachers union announced this afternoon.
The agreement was reached Saturday following a three-day strike in the district that serves parts of Menlo Park and Atherton.
“School districts prioritizing competitive salaries and supportive work environments see better retention rates,” said Jennifer Montalvo, co-president of the Las Lomitas Education Association union. “We’ve faced high turnover for years and it took all of us coming together in our union to address this crisis for our students and each other. This victory will bring much-deserved stability to our school communities,” she said in a statement.
Teachers will vote to ratify the contract in “coming days,” the union said.
SATURDAY, OCT. 26, 7:48 p.m. — The Las Lomitas School District announced tonight that it has reached an agreement with the union for the district’s 92 teachers that will end a strike over wages and other issues.
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately announced except that it would cover the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Heather Hopkins, speaking for the district, said she didn’t know when teachers will vote to ratify the contract.
An announcement from the board said: “The strike has been called off and students and staff should return to their schools per usual starting Monday. LLEA (the Las Lomitas Education Association union) and district leadership jointly sent this message and expect to work together to ensure a smooth transition back to normalcy.”
The announcement was from Superintendent Beth Polito and union co-presidents Daniella Lefer and Jennifer Montalvo.
Las Lomitas teachers make between $78,181 to $167,146 depending on their years of experience and education level, according to pay schedules on the district’s website.
Union co-president Jennifer Montavalo previously told the Post that teachers salaries range from $71,320 to $146,634 annually.
Previously, the district said it offered a 7% retroactive raise for last school year and a 3% raise for this school year, extending a $3,358 “tenure” stipend and health benefits equal to 100% of a Kaiser plan ($14,358).
The district says the teachers union countered with a request for an 8% retroactive raise for last school year, an 8% raise for this school year, benefits equal to 110% for a Kaiser plan and removing a CalPERS fee of about $1,812 per person.
Teachers have been working without a contract since July 2023.
Negotiations began in December.
The Rule of 72 would show this increase doubling their income every 13.6 years,