RSF Faculty Association seeks competitive compensation as collective bargaining begins

The Rancho Santa Fe Faculty Association (RSFFA) is set to begin negotiations with the Rancho Santa Fe School District this month, hoping for a “positive and productive” process and an increase in compensation. At the Dec. 9 meeting, the board held a public hearing to approve the initial proposal from the teachers’ union, opening up the collective bargaining session for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

Many R. Roger Rowe School teachers were in attendance at the meeting, some holding signs as a show of unity for increased salaries and benefits that reflect the staff’s “unwavering dedication” to their students.

The district and RSFA are expected to meet at the table on Dec. 18.  The RSFFA and the board last agreed to a 4.25% salary increase for the 2024-25 this past June.

During public comment on Dec. 9, Rancho Santa Fe Faculty Association President Mandy Valentine expressed how this year there has been a lot to celebrate: The district achieved the highest California state assessment scores in San Diego County in both the elementary and middle school levels, and R. Roger Rowe was named the  #1 middle school in the county and 18th in the state by U.S. News and Patch.

“These accomplishments aren’t accidents; they are the direct result of the extraordinary efforts of our dedicated school board, our highly experienced administrators, and our phenomenal teaching and support staff,” Valentine said. “Despite a decade marked by shifting leadership, our teaching staff has remained the constant force that upholds the highest level of education, builds meaningful relationships with families and inspires students to lead not only in the classroom but far beyond it.”

Valentine said that Rowe teachers’ salaries and benefits have not kept up with the rising cost of living in San Diego County, where she said the average inflation is 6.1% and health insurance premiums have increased by 8-12%. According to a recent staff survey, over 60% of teachers have jobs outside the classroom in order to make ends meet and cover basic necessities.

Valentine also offered comparisons to neighboring elementary school districts in Solana Beach, Del Mar, Encinitas and Cardiff, noting Rancho Santa Fe ranks third out of the five in salary, health care coverage and raises over the past two years. They rank last in master’s degree stipends as the district does not offer them. Past negotiations have included unsuccessful requests for master’s stipends.

“As we enter negotiations and prepare annual budgets for the years ahead, it is both necessary and fiscally possible to allocate more funds toward staff salary and benefits,” Valentine said. “Without competitive compensation, we risk losing the very educators who have built and sustained the excellence we are so proud of. Some will be forced out of San Diego, others will simply seek employment in neighboring districts. In the past two years, we lost four strong teachers to neighboring districts and the private sector.”

The RSF School District spends 83% of its budget on staffing. That night, the board heard an update on the 2025-26 school year budget, with Chief Business Officer Allison Oppeltz reporting that the district is anticipated to have a balanced budget. The budget has been buoyed by one-time funds that have reduced the deficit to $44,730, and by a $1 million grant from the Rancho Santa Fe Education Foundation.  As Rancho Santa Fe is a basic aid district that receives the majority of funding from property taxes, Oppeltz is keeping an eye on a potential downward trend—the district has budgeted conservatively for a 4% property tax increase in  2025-26.

Per district budget projections that look three years in advance as required by the county, the numbers show a significant deficit for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years.

“I want to assure everyone that the school board is committed to a balanced budget, and that’s what we’ll have,” Oppeltz said.

Oppeltz said the district is in a much better financial position than most, noting that San Diego Unified, albeit a much larger district, is facing a $47 million deficit next school year.

In her superintendent’s report, Superintendent Kim Pinkerton took the time to thank the teaching staff, although they were no longer in the room.

“Their engagement, thoughtfulness and dedication are visible in every classroom I visit and every interaction I witness,” Pinkerton said. “Whether it’s nurturing curiosity, fostering discovery and learning, guiding students through challenges and celebrating their growth and successes, they make our schools a place where students feel known, supported and inspired.”

Jee Manghani to continue as RSF School Board president

The Dec. 9 Rancho Santa Fe School District board meeting served as its annual organizational meeting, selecting the board leadership for the coming school year.

Jee Mangani was selected in a 4-1 vote to serve another year as the board president, nominated by outgoing Clerk Kate Butler.

Butler endorsed Manghani to continue serving in the role for consistency, complimenting 2025 as a strong year with great leadership: “You’re good at asking everyone for their opinion, and you’re kind of in the middle of the road,” she said.

Elected in 2018, Manghani is the longest-serving member on the board and has held the leadership position before.

Trustee Paul Seitz was the sole vote against the choice: “I really think new leadership needs to be put in there,” he said. Seitz said he believes that rotating the leadership position is important and is how different things get accomplished. As one example, he was critical of how board members’ agenda item requests are handled. Seitz said his disagreement wasn’t about Manghani personally but about the role of president. After the vote he told Manghani, “You poked the bear.”

As the organizational meeting continued, Vice President Kerry Vinci was unanimously selected to continue serving in the position and for board clerk, Annette Ross and Seitz both nominated each other with Seitz winning the seat.

The board also reviewed its ethics pledge and voted to approve it, an annual requirement of its bylaw on governance standards.

The original ethics pledge was adopted in 2023, with promises to govern as a whole and in a professional manner, treating everyone with respect. New language was added last fall stating that no board member shall threaten or bully other board members, district employees or community members, and that board members shall engage in a professional discourse even in the face of disagreement and refrain from any violent or abusive conduct.

The pledge passed 4-1 with Seitz opposed.