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The Redwood City School District has reached tentative labor agreements with teachers and other staff, giving them a salary bump of roughly 3% on average.
The district, however, will have to continue to wrangle with budget adjustments and contend with increased deficit spending to accommodate the agreements amid ongoing fiscal constraints.
“We have a primary focus on ensuring that all the children who enter our district in kindergarten or earlier are fully English literate by the end of third grade,” RCSD board President David Weekly said in an email to the Pulse Tuesday, Aug. 18. “Funding the high-quality teachers, professional development and supports needed to make this happen will necessitate balancing the budget from other sources, but I think overall we’re in decent good shape thanks to years of careful trimming.”
During its regular meeting Aug. 10, the board unanimously approved a two-year settlement worth a total of $2.9 million with the Redwood City Teachers Association (RCTA) union representing classroom instructors and a one-year deal valued at more than $706,000 with the Redwood City Administrators Association (RCAA) covering management, supervisory and confidential employees.
According to a public disclosure report, the RCTA agreement provides teachers with a $1.43 million salary increase and $343,001 in statutory benefits in the 2026–27 fiscal year, for a total raise of 3.4%. In 2027-28, they receive $891,019 in salary and $214,099 in statutory benefits, for a total raise of 2.1%.
The RCAA deal consists of $467,809 in salary, $142,277 in statutory benefits, and $96,350 in health and welfare plans for the current budget year, representing a 3.2% overall raise, according to a separate public disclosure report.
According to the public disclosures, the district will rely on state monies, transfers into its unrestricted general fund, property-tax growth, and ongoing budget reductions and/or cost savings to be identified later to cover the employee raises.
The disclosures also note that the agreements increase annual deficit spending in the general fund.
But RCSD leaders say the raises are needed to remain competitive with other districts in bringing in and keeping high-caliber teachers and management staff.
“I think retaining dedicated teaching staff and educators (is) one of the most direct ways we can really support our students,” board member Mike Wells said during the meeting. “We can see what we’re doing to be able to cover the increased cost this year, and I know we’ll have to make some adjustments coming up for the following year.”
The district has already made budget cuts and savings totaling about $13 million over the past two years, citing rising operational costs, the expiration of state and federal pandemic-related relief funds, and declining enrollment.
The district floated a parcel-tax measure on the June ballot, seeking to generate $12.2 million annually over eight years for teaching positions, educational programs and managing class sizes, but the initiative fell just short of the two-thirds voter-approval threshold.
District and RCTA representatives “spent the last several months since March reviewing contract language, negotiating and debating all very professionally and collaboratively – which was great,” RCSD Assistant Superintendent Wendy Kelly told trustees during their meeting.
The teachers’ new contract features a salary schedule structured differently from the past “to address both recruitment and retention,” district spokesperson Jorge Quintana told the Pulse in an email.
“While all teachers will receive compensation increases the next two school years, teachers in years 1 through 10 receive a larger adjustment this school year while teachers with more experience, in years 11 through 23, receive their larger adjustment next school year,” Quintana said. “This approach helps RCSD remain competitive in attracting new teachers while continuing to recognize and invest in our experienced educators.”
The RCTA agreement also includes adjustments directly benefiting classrooms, he said.
“Class sizes in kindergarten through second grade will be reduced gradually with the changes phased in over the next three school years,” he said. “The contract also adds dedicated preparation time for teachers in transitional kindergarten through second grade.”
Weekly added: “Having negotiated fair labor agreements that allow us to hire and retain great talent is core to us operating well as a district. We’ve been working to keep our district right-sized to changing enrollment needs and expiry of COVID-era funds.”
The district has also “implemented thoughtful budget reductions with vigorous community engagement to ensure we’re being thoughtful about our path forward,” Weekly said.
RCTA could not immediately be reached for comment.
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