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The Las Lomitas Education Association officially notified the board they will strike starting Wednesday, Oct. 23, if the district can not come to an agreement by Tuesday night, Oct. 22, co-presidents Jennifer Montalvo and Daniella Lefer announced during public comment at Thursday’s school board meeting.
Teachers and community members picketed outside Las Lomitas Elementary School on Alameda de Las Pulgas in Atherton during the board’s closed session meeting before open session began. They chanted: “What do we want? A fair contract. When do we want it? Now!” “We don’t want to strike but we will if we have to.” “Education is a right, that is why we have to fight.”
Teachers and librarians, which the union represents, are asking the district for a 10% salary increase. Montalvo and Lefer told The Almanac that there has been “no movement” in negotiations.
District teachers have been working without a contract since July 2023. The strike would come at a difficult time for the embattled district. Superintendent Beth Polito announced she will retire in August as a petition claiming the community has “no confidence” in her has racked up 850 signatures as of Friday morning.
The Las Lomitas Elementary School District’s governing board listenings to LLEA Co-presidents Daniella Lefer and Jennifer Montalvo as they officially notify the district they plan to strike on Oct. 23, 2024 in Cano Hall at Las Lomitas Elementary School. Photo by Arden Margulis. 
Teachers and community members picketed outside Las Lomitas Elementary School during the board’s closed session meeting before open session began on Oct. 17, 2024. Photo by Arden Margulis. 
Educators crowd the Las Lomitas Elementary School District’s Oct. 17, 2024 board meeting. Photo by Arden Margulis.
District parent Christine Arnould, who started the petition, addressed the board Thursday evening. “How dare you not put the community first, how dare you not put teachers first,” she said.
The union co-presidents told The Almanac that the union supports petition.
‘How dare you not put the community first, how dare you not put teachers first.’
District parent Christine Arnould
At Thursday’s board meeting, Polito announced that the district will not be able to provide transportation for students during the strike except as required by the Tinsley Volunteer Transfer Program. The Almanac has reached out to the district and teachers union to clarify why transportation services would not be available given that bus drivers are not part of the teachers union.
The district has stated that schools will remain open during a strike. The board approved a contract with Scoot Education to provide substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and special education employees. Each substitute teacher will cost the district $344 a day if it’s a sub who serves less than 15 days in a row.
At the meeting, the board also approved a contract for security services that cost $2,000 per day and a contract for custodial services that cost $2,000 per day.
“This is a really hard time for us all,” board President Heather Hopkins said during the meeting.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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