District reaches tentative four‑year agreement with teacher association: 20% COLA over term, longevity stipend added

District negotiators and the Educate Estacada Education Association (EEA), which represents certified staff, reached a tentative four‑year agreement on June 9 and the administration announced the agreement to the board on June 11.

Superintendent Carpenter described the negotiations as unusually collaborative and said the agreement covers a four‑year term that provides a 20 percent total cost‑of‑living adjustment to certified members over four years (presented as 5 percent per year), and a 3 percent health‑insurance increase each year of the agreement. The tentative deal also adds a longevity stipend for employees who have worked 10 or more years in the district, 90 additional minutes of prep time on designated read days, and an increased stipend for special‑education case managers in recognition of growing caseloads.

Carpenter told the board the multi‑year settlement aims to stabilize compensation across bienniums and improve the district’s competitiveness with neighboring districts such as Oregon City, Canby and Sandy. He said the district did not compare itself to larger districts that supplement pay with voter‑approved levies; those levied districts were not considered comparable because they operate with different local tax support.

Carpenter said more contract details will be discussed in executive session before ratification and that the administration will present the final agreement to the board for approval when negotiations conclude. The board received the update as informational and will consider ratification in upcoming meetings per the normal collective bargaining and board‑approval process.