Cedar Falls board approves tentative 2026 27 teacher contract, authorizes short-term hiring

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa May 11

The Cedar Falls Community School District Board of Education on Monday approved a one-year tentative collective bargaining agreement with the Cedar Falls Education Association for the 2026 27 school year and voted to let the superintendent or a designee issue employment contracts between May 12 and June 5 so newly hired staff can begin the resignation and onboarding process before the board’s June meeting.

The board also moved and approved the proposed list of graduates for the Class of 2026, contingent on satisfactory completion of graduation requirements as attested by the high-school principal.

The administration presented the tentative agreement, which the packet describes as a one-year settlement ratified by association members. Packet-listed terms included a base wage generator of $38,960 for the 2026 27 schedule, step advancement and lane changes for employees who meet requirements, and adjustments to extracurricular and department-chair pay and appendices for activities and athletics. The packet also notes specific changes such as additions to drama-production stipends and a new chorus-coach assignment.

Superintendent Dr. Petite told the board the short-term delegation to issue contracts was requested because the district has no second May meeting and delays can make it harder to secure new hires: "this just allows us to release those, get those individuals kind of signed in place so they can actually resign then from their current district and we can move the process forward a little bit quicker," she said.

A board representative who served on the negotiations committee cautioned that the settlement "is significantly more than the new money that we're getting," and said the agreement will draw down district balances. The representative thanked negotiators and singled out staff support for bringing the proposal forward.

All actions recorded in the meeting were approved by voice vote; the transcript does not include a roll-call or individual tallies. The board packet and the meeting presentation contain the contract language and the fiscal details the board reviewed; the administration recommended acceptance, and the board voted to accept and file the contract for final formalization at the June meeting.

What happens next: the district will issue the limited May 12 June 5 contract authority to central office, bring individual contracts to the June board meeting for ratification, and proceed with graduation preparations for May 24. The board also confirmed the administration will include the collective-bargaining agreement in June materials for the required final vote and formal documentation.

(Reporting by the Cedar Falls Community School District meeting transcript.)