RICHMOND — As West Contra Costa County educators prepare to begin striking Thursday, district leadership have reacted with a mix of concern for students and support for staff.

Picket lines will begin forming outside all West Contra Costa Unified School District campuses Thursday, 45 minutes before the first bell rings, United Teachers of Richmond announced Monday evening.

The union expects all of its roughly 1,400 members will be out in support of the strike, given that 98% of members voted in favor of the action if they weren’t offered what they believe would be a fair contract.

“Striking is the last resort — we want to teach. But we know this truth: The status quo is failing our students,” United Teachers of Richmond President Francisco Ortiz said in a statement.

Despite the planned strike, all campuses will be open and ready to welcome students, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said in a statement Monday evening. Trustees agreed to raise substitute teachers’ pay during the strike from $250 per day to $550, an adjustment Cotton said was necessary to attract temporary staff who will have to cross picket lines.

Cotton, who has led the district of about 26,000 students for about six months, also expressed disappointment in the strike moving forward.

“I have listened closely to our teachers. I understand the frustration many feel. I share their concerns about keeping our schools fully staffed, improving pay so teachers want to stay, reducing the cost of outside services, and giving stronger support to all students, including those with special needs,” Cotton said. “But a strike will not fix these problems.”

The union is legally allowed to strike now that a nonbinding factfinding report has been completed. The report was written by a mediator appointed by the California Public Employment Relations Board, an independent state agency charged with overseeing relationships between government employers and their staff.

Meant to help bring the district and union closer to an agreement, the report recommended a 6% raise over two years and incrementally increasing the district’s health care contributions from 80% to 90%. Other changes to address campus and staffing concerns were also proposed.

Even with mediation efforts, the district and union were still at a stalemate by Monday evening, about 10 months after contract negotiations first began. United Teachers of Richmond are fighting for a 10% raise over two years, 100% employer funded health care, smaller class sizes and improved campus conditions.

The district’s latest offer adopted the recommended plan to increase health care contributions to 90%, but offered only a 3% raise. If the district were to offer even the 6% raises proposed in the report, millions more in cuts would be necessary, the district said in response to the report. Trustees have already agreed to cut nearly $33 million from the district’s budget over a period of three years to maintain fiscal solvency and retrain local control.

When asked to elaborate on exactly what areas may need to be cut, the district did not immediately respond to this news organization. Union members have argued in favor of reeling in spending on outside contracts to cover raises and other contract adjustments.

Educators have argued that their demands are meant to attract and retain staff to a district they say is often treated as a training ground. The union has often noted the district started the recent school year with 70 teacher vacancies, students with special needs have gone without required support like speech pathology services, and teachers who have stayed with the district are struggling to make ends meet.

“Educators have proposed real solutions for stability — including competitive wages that keep high-quality teachers here — but the District has not acted with the urgency our students deserve,” Ortiz said in the statement.

Board President Leslie Reckler did not respond to a request for comment.

Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy, a former educator in the district who also previously served as union president, shared disappointment in where discussions have landed and a belief that students, educators and the broader community “deserve better than the circumstances that led us here.” He and his family will not cross the picket line, Gonzalez-Hoy said.

“I stand with our teachers and deeply respect the sacrifice they are making to fight for the conditions they believe our students need and deserve,” Gonzalez-Hoy said in a statement shared on social media. “Even in this difficult moment, I will continue working tirelessly for a fair, responsible settlement, one that supports our educators, protects our students, and strengthens the future of WCCUSD.”

Trustee Guadalupe Enllana Avalos also recognized the needs of students and concerns of educators in a social media statement of her own Tuesday.

“This is an important moment for our community. I’m hopeful that continued negotiations will move us forward. And when this moment passes, we must keep advocating and holding ourselves accountable. We’ll have tough decisions ahead, and it’s important that we stay united through it all,” Avalos said. “Our students deserve an education that opens the doors to a successful future. That’s what I’m fighting for, always.

Gonzalez-Hoy, Avalos and Cotton all noted school meals will still be available for students who are absent during a strike. Parents or guardians who pick up lunches are asked to have the students name or ID number. Families can also enroll their child in independent study during the strike.