Board receives CSEA and district negotiation reopeners and approves declaration of need for fully qualified educators

The San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees publicly received initial proposals from CSEA Chapter 411 and from district negotiators for the 2026–27 reopener negotiations.

CSEA’s chapter representative presented the union’s initial priorities earlier in the meeting and the board opened a public hearing on the union’s proposal and on the district’s own reopener; district staff noted the proposals were available on the agenda and on screen. No members of the public spoke during either hearing.

After review, the board approved the district’s initial proposal for negotiations by a 5–0 vote. The board also approved the required annual Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators, which allows the district to request permits or waivers from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing if it cannot fill certain positions with fully credentialed teachers due to statewide shortages.

District staff emphasized the declaration is a compliance step that permits the district to use emergency or provisional hiring measures only where necessary (for example, in hard-to-fill special-education positions).

Next steps: negotiations will proceed through the district’s customary bargaining process and the declaration will be filed with the state agency as required when appropriate.