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Onalaska board approves 2026–27 teachers’ contract with roughly 2.6% base increase
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Summary
The Onalaska School District board approved a 2026–27 collective bargaining agreement with the Onalaska Education Association that raises base wages by 2.63% and includes supplemental-pay adjustments; the board also extended comparable increases across other employee groups.
The Onalaska School District board on April 27 approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Onalaska Education Association that raises base teacher pay by 2.63% for the 2026–27 contract year. The contract takes effect July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2027.
Board members framed the agreement as the last phase of a multi-year compensation strategy intended to retain staff after prior funding and certification changes reduced district competitiveness. "We agreed on a 2.63% increase across the base," Brian Hayes said during the meeting, describing the negotiated settlement.
District staff said the agreement was accompanied by adjustments to supplemental pay and a modest flat payment for some teachers; when averaged across all teachers the district estimated the package would amount to roughly a 2.8% increase. The board also voted to apply comparable percentage increases to other employee groups — including assistants, specialists, school nutrition staff, facilities and substitutes — and to raise substitute rates.
Board members emphasized continuity: the district has moved through multi-year salary benchmarks for different employee groups and described this contract as the completion of that cycle. The motion to approve the collective bargaining agreement and the companion wage-and-compensation recommendations passed by the board.
The board’s action was presented as a budgeted item in the broader financial plan and will be reflected in the district’s final budget amendment scheduled for June.
