The Fremont Unified School District on Monday will meet with the teachers’ union with the hope of averting a strike, according to a message from the superintendent. The two sides already have found agreement on some issues, Superintendent Zach Larsen said in a letter to parents and students. “During fact-finding, FUSD and FUDTA present their cases to a three-person panel with a representative from both groups and a neutral state-appointed expert to lend an outside perspective,” Larsen wrote. “We are hopeful that we will be sharing news of a tentative agreement on April 8th.” The district has offered a 5% pay raise, but the union also wants at least $1,000 annually towards health care expenses and caps on class sizes. The president of the teachers union told NBC Bay Area last week some classes have as many as 40 students in them. She also says some teachers have their left jobs because the Fremont Unified contributes zero dollars towards their health and dental plan, which ends up costing thousands of dollars monthly. “We want to make sure we are able to stay here and give our students the best, what they really deserve, so everything we are doing is fighting for them,” said Victoria Chon, Fremont Unified District Teachers Association president. If an agreement is not reached in talks this week, the district has said it could go on strike as early as this week. ...read more read less