North Bend School District board approves two-year contract with teachers union
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Summary
The North Bend School District Board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the North Bend Education Association covering July 1, 2025–June 30, 2027, that includes a 5% cost-of-living adjustment the first year and pay/stipend changes intended to retain hard-to-fill positions.
The North Bend School District Board of Directors approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the North Bend Education Association (NBEA) covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.
The agreement, presented at the board’s May 1 meeting, provides a 5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in year one and a 4% COLA in year two. Year two also includes a $50 increase in insurance contribution, bringing total employee contribution to $1,712 in year two, according to the district’s summary of the agreement.
Board members and negotiators said both sides described the bargaining process as collegial. The district described the talks as three meetings that produced mutual concessions and language clarifications. Negotiators highlighted new and increased stipends intended to address hard-to-fill roles: a $15,000 stipend for the school psychologist; $5,000 for resource and life-skills special education positions (for fully licensed staff); $3,000 stipends for school nurses and for school counselors; and expanded coaching stipends to include emerging sports and Oregon Battle of the Books.
The contract also establishes annual recognition stipends for advanced credentials. Educators who hold National Board Certification will receive a $1,500 annual stipend; a parallel $1,500 annual stipend was added for teachers who hold a teacher-leader license from the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).
The agreement includes a negotiated pathway allowing CTE teachers to advance on pay columns to better reflect industry experience, and some housekeeping language updates (for example changing trimester/semester wording). The district described the measures as intended to improve recruitment and retention and to recognize difficult-to-fill specialties.
Board members called the agreement fair and noted strong support from certificated staff: the district reported that 98.4% of certified staff who responded to the association’s ratification survey voted in favor.
A roll-call vote was taken; the motion passed. The board’s vote tally was recorded as unanimous among members present.
The board and association negotiators named as participants in bargaining included Eva Vargas, Zach Carney, Jennifer Hample, Nico Friedman and Jenna Dixon for the association; district participants listed included Vince Wierdy, Michelle Cook and Laurie Sullivan. Board members who participated in the recorded vote included Carol Yardley and Jim Jordan.
