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Board approves new teacher contract adding 30 minutes to school day
Summary
Dixon USD 170 approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Dixon Education Association that adds 30 minutes to the student day beginning in 2025–26 and includes a grow-your-own teacher development element.
The Dixon USD 170 Board of Education voted to approve a new collective bargaining agreement with the Dixon Education Association that adds 30 minutes to the regular student day starting with the 2025–26 school year and preserves the district’s 7:45 a.m. start time while moving dismissal to 2:45 p.m.
Board members and negotiators said the added time will be directed at core subjects and intervention periods. The agreement, presented to the board during its regular meeting, was described by the district and the teachers’ bargaining team as intended to increase instructional time and allow scheduled intervention without reducing core instruction.
The board packet and presenters said school start time will remain at 7:45 a.m.; the school day will end at 2:45 p.m. beginning in the 2025–26 school year. The board and negotiators said the change aligns the district with nearby districts where a seven-hour day is common and the extra minutes will be “directed at the core subjects” to support instruction and intervention.
District staff also said the agreement includes a “grow your own” program designed to develop local candidates for hard-to-fill roles such as special education and advanced-course teachers. Negotiators told the board the contract reflected what both sides described as a collaborative process and that staff feedback has been largely positive.
Board members recorded their approval in a roll-call vote. Board documents and the negotiation team indicated the document will be posted on the district website after minor clean-up and signatures from negotiating parties.
Action on the agreement was recorded as an approved motion in the meeting minutes; the board president pro tem announced that signatures will be collected and the finalized contract posted on the district website as required by law.
The board did not discuss implementation logistics for every building at length during the meeting; staff said the district will communicate the calendar and daily-schedule changes through the website and social media in the coming weeks so families can plan for kindergarten registration and other spring tasks.
