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On Aug. 21, Las Lomitas Elementary School District teachers and supporters rallied on the corner of Alameda de las Pulgas and Sharon Road in Menlo Park an hour before a school board meeting, calling for the district to approve salary raises for educators. Signs read “honk to support LLESD teachers” and “investing in educators is investing in children’s futures.”
Certified staff at Las Lomitas Elementary School and La Entrada Middle School are entering their second year without a teaching contract since July 1, 2023. Educators are asking the district for fair compensation and benefits that reflect their hard work. In the 2022-23 school year, the district gave teachers a 5% raise.
“After two unproductive summer meetings in impasse, the state mediator has released Las Lomitas Education Association from mediation, allowing us to proceed to a state fact-finding hearing with the school district,” said LLEA co-president Jennifer Montalvo, a school counselor at La Entrada.
The fact-finding hearing will involve three panelists, one representative from each party and one neutral party. The 30-day hearing began on Aug. 14 to investigate and evaluate any evidence, arguments and witness testimonies related to the contracts. After the hearing, the neutral party will prepare a report with recommendations on how to resolve the dispute.
In the negotiation for a contract, the LLEA will be addressing the cost of salary increases, salary comparisons to neighboring districts, teacher recruitment and retention and the district’s reserves.
The union is asking for a 10% salary increase, which they argue will not “create a budget shortfall” but rather prioritize teachers instead of creating new administrative roles, increase administrative salaries and fund luxury retreats for administrators.
The district is offering the union a 5% salary increase which it argues will put LLESD pay at $78,181 which is “at or near the top of the payscale compared to similar local elementary school districts.”
“LLESD has the money. The district would only need to trim $850,000 from their $40 million budget to pay for LLEA’s ask,” said Whitney Thwaite, a science teacher at La Entrada, during the board meeting.
The union states that the district’s 2023 report to the state shows that LLESD has more than 49% of its annual budget in reserves. The district has also received $7 million in property tax revenue over the last three years.
LLESD’s current contract sets starting salaries at $71,320 with a maximum salary of $146,634 without a master’s degree. The median household income in San Mateo County is about $149,000.
In comparison, Portola Valley School District pays a starting salary of $82,130 and a maximum salary of $153,886 and Menlo Park City School District pays a starting salary of $78,645 and a maximum of $151,926. LLESD pays the least in both starting and maximum salaries compared to neighboring school districts.
Teachers are asking for higher salaries that will alleviate rising health care and housing costs that will support educators to provide a thriving learning environment for their students.
According to the union, the district had a record number of open positions this year with four teachers leaving the district over the summer. During public comment, LLEA co-president and La Entrada teacher Daniella Lefer pointed out that without feedback, the district is unable to understand and address the reasons behind these departures.
Board Clerk Gautum Nadella responded to public commenters by promising that he will push for more financial responsibility from the district and encourage support toward teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians and more.
“I will push for more clarity and oversight of our overall expenses going forward but it is about spending all we can responsibly for the largest and most important asset that we have here, which is our people, our staff and our teachers,” Nadella said.
Board members Jason Morimoto and Laura Moon echoed Nadella’s comments and expressed their support and appreciation of district staff.
For more information on the LLEA’s negotiations visit the union’s informational page on the process at tinyurl.com/LLEAinfo.
The district did not comment on the negotiations, but shared a fact sheet on the collective bargaining impasse.
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I don’t know about luxury vacations for school district administrators, but the starting salaries for Las Lomitas seem below market based on the Menlo Park and Portola Valley comps.
Believe the teachers. School board, wake up.
My family moved to the Las Lomitas Elementary School District intentionally, seeking a small district with excellent teachers. We have had an amazing experience in the district, with teachers who care deeply and personally for our children and who work tirelessly to provide them with a strong educational foundation.
It is critical that the district provide competitive salaries and compensation packages to retain existing talent and recruit new talent. The long term success of our district – and our children – requires the district to critically assess and restructure the budget to prioritize teachers and staff over administrative costs.
Our teachers deserve better pay and less administrative oversight. I learned recently that for 2023-2024, our District sends administrators to conferences in Hawaii, NYC, Chicago, and Paso Robles. The Board does not oversee these expenses; Beth Polito approves them with zero Board oversight.
I do not understand why we need to send administrators to expensive conferences (plus hotels, meals, uber rides, per diems, etc) across the US when the same information is available locally. Couldn’t this money be used to support teachers?
Board President Heather Hopkins – could you please investigate this?
I strongly believe that the teachers of Las Lomitas deserve much, much more than the 10% raise they are requesting.
Inflation alone would be justification for additional compensation as the rate of inflation over the last two years was 12.7%. Teachers medical costs have increased by 12%
If we value teachers as much as we say we do then we should back it up with more than words and pay the teachers what they deserve.
Throughout the pandemic we heard praises for teachers from the community once the schoolday shifted to home. As parents we had a hard time keeping our children motivated; now envision that x 10! Pay the teachers what they deserve.
Teachers are where the rubber meets the road. I challenge you to recall the last school admin whose influence was life-changing, inspired you to do better and made a positive impact in your life; I can’t… but I sure can recall several dedicated teachers who inspired me and helped me be a better human. Pay the teachers what they deserve.
This district should set an example of how it values its educators regardless of what other districts are doing. This raise is a sign of respect and acknowledgement to teachers who work before work and then work after work for the betterment of our children. Pay the teachers what they deserve.
It is with those thoughts that I implore this board to do the right thing and pay the teachers what they deserve.