Menlo Park teachers reach tentative agreement with school district, strike ends

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- A tentative agreement has been reached between the union representing teachers in Las Lomitas Elementary School District and the district that oversees two schools in Menlo Park and Atherton, ending a three-day strike, the union said Sunday.

The tentative agreement includes a 16% raise over three years and fully funded employee health care benefits, according to the Las Lomitas Education Association, the union representing the teachers.

The teachers went on strike Wednesday after contract negotiations with the district faltered Tuesday night. An agreement was reached between the union and the district Saturday night, according to the union.

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"School districts prioritizing competitive salaries and supportive work environments see better retention rates. 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," said LLEA co-president Jennifer Montalvo in a statement.

Teachers in the union will vote to ratify the tentative agreement in the coming days, according to the union.

The district, which oversees the La Entrada Middle School in Menlo Park and Las Lomitas Elementary School in Atherton, said students and staff should return to school as usual on Monday.

"LLEA and district leadership jointly sent this message and expect to work together to ensure a smooth transition back to normalcy," the school district said in a statement on its website.