The Mountain View–Los Altos District agreed with the Teachers’ Union to raise teacher salaries by 15.7 percent by the end of the 2023–2024 school year. 

The raise provides a 5 percent salary increase for certificated staff, including teachers and counselors, each year for three years, retroactive to the beginning of this school year. Salaries are also set to increase at the beginning of the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 school years. As a result of the compounded increase, salaries during the 2023–2024 school year will be 15.7 percent higher than they were at the start of the 2021–2022 school year.

Teachers have already collected a check for the additional compensation due to the retroactive raise. The next cycle of paychecks will reflect the raise.

The raise is meant to bolster teacher salaries given recent inflation in the Bay Area, where the consumer price index has increased 5.2 percent in the past year according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that for this year at least, the spending power of District salaries will remain similar to salaries prior to this inflation. 

“I’m very grateful to be living in this district because my friends in other districts are not getting cost of living adjustments,” science teacher Trina Mattson said. “They have to just deal with it. So I’m really glad that they’re looking out for us.” 

Teacher’s Union member David Campbell said that he was “pleased to have resolved the issue of a salary increase” as he wanted to prioritize the improvement of classroom experiences for students.

This sentiment is echoed by MVLA staff across the District. 

“The District is thrilled to have settled salary negotiations with CSEA [California School Employees Association] and DTA [District Teachers’ Association] through the 2023–2024 school year,” Associate Superintendent Leyla Benson said. “Our employees have always been dedicated and determined professionals and the global pandemic has only further highlighted our team’s tremendous efforts and talents. Providing a real wage increase for our dedicated professionals was a high priority and we are pleased to have this agreement in place as we proceed.”