Kentfield School District classified staff secure contract deal

The Kentfield School District and its classified staff union have reached an agreement on a two-year contract.

Under the terms of the pact, the 30-member Kentfield Education Support Professionals Association will receive a 5% increase in pay in the current school year retroactive to July 1, and a 4% increase for 2025-26. The union members will also maintain their health benefits.

“The KSD and KESPA settled contract negotiations through the typical negotiations process,” Raquel Rose, district superintendent, said in an email. “We are thrilled to have found ourselves to a two-year agreement with our classified staff.”

The district’s board of trustees unanimously approved the contract at its Oct. 8 meeting, said David Riedel, board president.

Gretchen Harris, union president and bargaining team chair, said the deal will help hiring and staff stability.

“This agreement will help attract and retain the best educators for Kentfield students,” Harris said. “It takes a village to run a school and KESPA plays an important role in our students’ education.”

The district and the classified union had been at odds since late last year. After narrowly avoiding a strike in December, the two sides began a series of contract talks in March.

After two months of bargaining, the district and KESPA were at a stalemate over the pay increase rate and health care benefits. When talks resumed this fall, the two sides were able to come to agreement.

The classified union has more than a dozen different types of jobs, each with its own hourly pay range. The jobs include secretaries, classroom and library paraprofessionals, custodians and yard supervisors, among others.

Classroom and library paraprofessionals, for example, one of the largest groups of classified staff members, currently earn from $24.08 per hour to $29.98 per hour, according to the salary schedule on the district website.

After the pay raise for the current year, classroom paraprofessionals will earn from $25.29 per hour to $31.48 per hour. By 2025-26, the rate would rise to a range from $26.29 per hour to $32.74 per hour.

The school district and its teachers union recently reached a similar agreement on a two-year contract. The contract calls for 5% increases retroactive to July 1 for the current school year and 4% raises for 2025-26. The union includes 68 teachers, counselors and nurses.

According to the teachers union, the new contract raises starting teachers salaries from $66,317 to $69,633 for the current school year. In 2025-26, the figure will be $72,418.

The Kentfield School District serves about 1,050 students at Bacich Elementary School and Kent Middle School.