Changes at Lunch for Las Lomitas Students!

Since the start of the year, the Las Lomitas School Climate/Playground Committee has been working diligently to address the effects of our growing enrollment. A copy of a power point presentation from the 2/28/11 Morning with the Principal is posted on the school website and can be seen by clicking here (For best viewing, choose "PowerPoint" when opening the file).  It provides a summary of the Committee's work so far.

Las Lomitas Students Enjoy a Less Crowded Lunchtime

One of the most significant recommendations of the Committee is to pilot a two-session lunch for 1^st-3^rd grade students. The pilot schedule began on 2/28 and runs through 4/15.  The new schedule is below:

12:06-12:25     1^st Seating eats lunch  (All first grades and half of the third grades)
                        2^nd Seating plays (All second grades and half of the third grades)

12:25-12:30     Bell; passing period

12:30-12:50    2^nd Seating eats lunch

1^st Seating plays

This schedule reduces the number of students on the yard from 484 to 240/244!  The first few days of the pilot went very smoothly.  Students are enjoying more space, shorter lines, and plenty of equipment.  A big thank you goes out to the parent volunteers who helped out the first week to help the students learn the new routine. Mrs. Sartor is very interested in hearing from parents, staff and students as the pilot continues.  Please call or email her with your questions.

Negotiations Update
Contract Bargaining With Certificated Employees (Teachers)

In my last News & Views I summarized where we were with negotiations with our teachers' bargaining unit. Click here for a refresher. Since that time, we have had several more rounds of bargaining, each time seeming to get closer to a conclusion, but just not managing to zero in on a settlement that meets both sides' needs. At our last session on January 31, the district decided that we would benefit from the help of a mediator who could assist us in getting to closure. Technically, this is called "impasse," but practically it's no more than calling for the help of a skilled, impartial expert to help us resolve the matters that still separate us. Our first mediated bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9^th.

When we began negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement over a year ago, both teachers and management submitted numerous proposals for improvements. These are a matter of public record; click here to see both the district's and LLEA's initial proposals. At our most recent meeting, the LLEA introduced several new proposals that hadn't been discussed over the past year.

The main outstanding issue for the district is that of modifying our agreement to eliminate the requirement that we provide lifetime "post-retirement health benefits" to teachers. This is a financial liability that is separate from and in addition to the retirement benefit (pension) that teachers and the district pay in to each month. Post-retirement health benefits, on the other hand, are currently financed in a pay-as-you-go fashion by the district. Although many district provide post-retirement health benefits until age 65, lifetime post-retirement health benefit are offered by only three of the 23 districts in our county. This contractual obligation to retired staff currently costs our district $225,000 for all employees ($165,000 per year for our retired teachers), but our actuarial liability has accrued to about $4.7 million for all staff who are entitled to this benefit.

The district's proposal is not to eliminate the lifetime health benefit for current employees; it is to cease offering it to new employees and offer instead post-retirement health benefits until the employee qualifies for Medicare. This approach is being adopted by numerous districts and municipalities around the state and, over time, greatly reduces and can even eliminate a very significant financial liability.

I am optimistic that the mediation process will enable us to wrap up this round of negotiations and hope to report on a settlement in my next News & Views.

A few weeks ago, a local newspaper floated the idea that our district should consider consolidating with Menlo Park City School District, on the general theory that there might be some economies of scale. A local blogger and former city council member for Menlo Park is also testing the waters by seeking volunteers to work on a district consolidation effort.

In order for consolidation to be officially considered, a petition signed by either 25% of voters in the two districts or by a majority of both school boards would need to be submitted to the County Committee on School District Organization. If all petition criteria were met, that committee would oversee a detailed study of the proposal.

District consolidation is a complicated and lengthy process that would require answering a number of questions: What would happen regarding the two districts' different parcel tax rates and bond rates? How would different employee pay and benefit rates be handled? What would become of the two districts' transportation programs? Exactly how much savings could be achieved? What would be the effect on state obligations to the districts? These are just a few of the issues that would need to be studied before the committee could issue an opinion, and ultimately, the question would come before the voters of the two districts. 

At this point, there is no active community group pursuing the idea of district consolidation, though this could change on a moment's notice. Indeed, should this concept gain any momentum, residents might well ask "Why just Menlo Park and Las Lomitas? What about the other 'small' districts? Where does high school fit in?" Our Board of Trustees has not discussed topic of consolidation, nor has the Menlo Park Board. The last time district consolidation was considered was in 1993, at the request of the Grand Jury and in the context of all 23 districts in San Mateo County. While the studies were carried out, no consolidations occurred.

We are fortunate to have weathered to current recession with fewer casualties than most districts, and it is right for taxpayers to consider all options for efficient use of their taxes. If we are asked to consider consolidation, we will participate with an open mind while keeping our community apprised of the costs and benefits as we see them. So don't be surprised if you hear more about this topic, and know that the process, if it gets started, can take several years to resolve.