Washoe trustees adopt two‑year contract with teachers union, outline pay and leave changes

The Washoe County School District board on Dec. 9 voted to approve a two‑year collective bargaining agreement with the Washoe Education Association that the district and union said balances fiscal limits with targeted investments to recruit and retain staff.

The agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2025, includes a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment for fiscal 2026 and new compensation provisions for hard‑to‑fill positions. Doug Owen, the district’s chief human resources officer, said the contract also creates market‑competitive salary schedules for occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech‑language pathologists and audiologists and adds stipends for vacancy coverage and expanded bilingual and geographic differentials.

Kalen Evans, president of the Washoe Education Association, said negotiators spent about nine months on the deal and emphasized provisions for prep‑time stipends, retention bonuses and workplace protections. “We started meeting informally with the district’s team back in March,” Evans said. The package includes a guaranteed $1,000 retention bonus in fiscal 2027 tied to performance and new vacancy savings stipends that pay teachers $800–$1,000 when they take on additional students.

The contract also modernizes leave—consolidating multiple leave categories into a paid time off bank, allowing unused PTO to convert to sick leave, and permitting annual sick‑leave cash‑outs. Owen described the change as treating employees “as professionals” and said it simplifies administration and employee planning.

District and union leaders told the board the agreement was structured with guardrails tied to state revenue and that some increases depend on continued legislative funding for education. Kevin Pick, general counsel, noted the agreement incorporated prior memoranda of understanding into the contract so those terms remain codified.

Trustees praised the collaborative negotiations and the district’s finance team for finding ways to invest in employees despite a multi‑million dollar budget shortfall. The board moved to approve and adopt the agreement; the motion carried and the superintendent and union representatives planned to meet staff for implementation and Q&A sessions before the winter break.

What happens next: The agreement takes effect per its retroactive dates and the district and WEA will communicate details to members and employees about stipend eligibility, PTO changes and timelines for new salary schedules.