District teachers’ union reports tentative agreement reached in mediation; membership to vote

A representative speaking for the district educators’ union reported to the board that bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement during two days of state mediation and that the union will hold member meetings and a ratification vote.

The union representative said the mediation took more than 26 hours over two days and thanked both sides for reaching a tentative agreement. The remarks framed the agreement as the start of further work under the union’s stated five pillars: safe schools, competitive wages, balanced workloads, educator retention and student success. The representative emphasized that work remains ongoing and that the union will hold a member meeting and a vote following the informational session.

The union speaker criticized the district’s long‑term cost pressures on employees, saying, “The district must not and cannot balance the budget on the back of its employees,” and said the union plans continued engagement on wages, benefits and working conditions.

Why this matters: A tentative agreement and subsequent ratification by union members would settle at least part of labor negotiations affecting teacher wages and benefits, which in turn affect district budgeting, staffing, and potential further reductions.

Next steps: The union will hold a member meeting tomorrow to present the tentative agreement and then commence voting; the district will incorporate any ratified settlement into its budget projections and follow up with the board during budget committee deliberations.