Rancho Santa Fe School District, teachers agree to salary hikes

The Rancho Santa Fe School District and the RSF Faculty Association (RSFFA) have reached a tentative agreement in their contract negotiations. The school board will vote to ratify the agreement at its Thursday, June 2 board meeting.

“It is great news to have that done, it was a pretty intense time for our school district,” RSF School District Superintendent Lindy Delaney said at the May 20 special board meeting.

At the May 18 negotiation session, the parties settled on a 4.5 percent salary increase, a $600 annual increase to the district’s employee health benefit contribution, and two personal business days for teachers each year. The days are not “no tell” days but are instead approved by the superintendent to be absent for personal business.

In a letter to parents, Delaney wrote that the agreement shows that the district values its great teachers and everything that they do.

“We are pleased that improvements have been made to our agreement that reflect language and salary that is more comparable to surrounding school district’s contracts,” said Amanda Valentine, president of the RSFFA. “However, the association is disappointed in the manner which the board amended Board Policy 4111. In order to resolve the issue of the policy being tied to negotiations, the board eliminated the policy, therefore, teachers’ children will no longer be allowed to enroll in the RSF School District. Those already enrolled, however, are able to return.”

As the board policy is no longer part of the teachers’ working agreement, the RSFFA was not able to negotiate the terms of the amendment.

“Our goal in the future is to work with a new superintendent and board to craft a mutually beneficial agreement to allow teachers’ children to attend RSF,” Valentine said.