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Las Lomitas Elementary School District teachers and staff took to the streets in front of La Entrada Middle School in Menlo Park on Wednesday morning, Oct. 23, marching, holding signs and chanting as they began the first day of a strike after failing to come to an agreement over pay with the district by Tuesday night. They were joined by over 50 educators, parents, students and community members in support of paying the teachers and librarians more.
To the district’s knowledge, this is LLESD’s first teacher strike.
“Our power is our strike. Our power is our unity and that’s why we are here standing together. Our members have supported us and trusted us throughout this entire process,” said Daniella Lefer, co-president of the Las Lomitas Education Association. LLEA has been pressing for a 10% raise.
Negotiations were down to the wire on the evening of Tuesday, Oct 22, but the two parties failed to come to an agreement. That evening, the district’s bargaining team and governing board offered the LLEA a 7% salary increase for 2023-24 and a 3% ongoing pay raise starting in 2024-25. The LLEA countered the district’s offer, asking for an 8% ongoing salary increase starting in 2023-24. LLEA co-president Jennifer Montalvo said they were prepared to bargain but the district stated they were not authorized to bargain beyond their only offer.
The LLEA rejected the district’s 5.5% salary raise offer on Oct. 20.
Bus drivers, paraprofessionals and office staff are also on strike as a show of sympathy.
According to the district, Las Lomitas Elementary School and La Entrada Middle School will still be open during regular school hours but after school activities including the homework center and sports will be canceled. The district encourages student attendance and parents should notify the school of their child’s absence.
Bus services will be limited to students participating in the Tinsley Transfer Program and the Strategies class. “Special education services will be provided to the best of our abilities,” states the district’s announcement on Oct. 21.
District teachers have been out of a contract for three years and have been negotiating for almost over a year. The district says that the association’s initial ask for a 10% raise is “excessive and would significantly deplete the reserves,” according to a fact-finding report.
The arbitrator in the fact-finding hearing recommended that it would be appropriate for the district to offer a 7% raise to which the panelist representing LLEA argued it would still not be enough.
From left to right, Sebastian, 8, and Cassandra Rueda, 10, walk the picket lines in front of La Entrada Middle School with their mom, para-educator Yessica Rueda, during the Las Lomitas Education Association’s (LLEA) strike for higher wages and a better contract on Oct. 23, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Teachers, faculty, students, and parents carried signs and marched in front of La Entrada Middle School on the morning of Oct. 23, 2024, as part of the Las Lomitas Education Association’s (LLEA) strike for higher wages and a better contract. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Educators carry signs as they march the picket lines in front of La Entrada Middle School during the Las Lomitas Education Association’s (LLEA) strike for higher wages and a better contract on Oct. 23, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
4th and 5th grade science teacher Whitney Thwaite holds a sign and marches the picket lines in front of La Entrada Middle School during the Las Lomitas Education Association’s (LLEA) strike for higher wages and a better contract on Oct. 23, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
“There are many financial hardships that we are going through. We have nearly 60% of our staff with two and three jobs [and] the healthcare deficit that we are feeling in our paychecks,” said Montalvo.
Without a contract, staff are also vulnerable to their work environment and have no protection and security within their jobs, Lefer explained. She adds that there is potential for the district to lose teachers due to the current situation as “the morale is incredibly low.”
“This strike should not happen. We’re beyond devastated that our management and leadership let us down last night,” Montalvo added. Teachers and staff are not getting paid while on strike and students are not receiving their regular instruction, she said.
Parents and students also showed their support for the strike holding picket signs as they marched along the sidewalk in front of La Entrada Middle School.
“We were always amazed by the academic standards and the support we got from the teachers. We are heartbroken to see that it [has] come to this that yesterday [teachers] had to walk out with their personal belongings,” said Thomas Been, a district parent.
Been and his family moved to Menlo Park from France 12 years ago. His family was drawn to LLESD’s quality education. His oldest daughter, who is now in college, began at Las Lomitas not knowing a word of English. He appreciated how quickly teachers welcomed her and treated her the same as any other student.
While on strike, teachers and supporters are not allowed to be on school property.
Parents of the district were notified on Tuesday, Oct. 22, of the planned schedule for students who attend school during the strike. The district promises that students will be taught lessons focused on visual arts, physical activity, social-emotional learning, literacy, math and community building.
Classrooms are guided by guest teachers who were brought in by the Association of California School Administrators which is supporting LLESD during the strike, according to Superintendent Beth Polito.
“The board and district leadership deeply value the significant collective impact of our teachers and staff on our students, schools and community. For the sake of our students and the entire community, we hope to come to an agreement soon so that we may move forward together,” according to a district email to families late Tuesday night.
LLEA representatives will continue to strike until the district invites them back to the bargaining table, according to Lefer.
