With little time left to spare, the Evergreen School District and its union tentatively reached a contract agreement at about 3 a.m. today.
According to a Facebook post from the union, the Evergreen Education Association, the district and union settled on a contract at 3:04 a.m., signing the final paperwork at 4:15 a.m.
“Thank you EEA members for your hard work and unity — and for standing strong for our students!” union officials wrote in the Facebook post.
Details of the contract will be announced at a union meeting Tuesday evening at the Clark County Fairgrounds, and it will not be official until approved by 60 percent plus one of the union members at that meeting. The first day of school is Wednesday.
Union officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The decision signals the end of 14 months of bargaining between the district and the union — and clears the way for students to go to school this week without being interrupted by a teacher strike. The current contract between the district and its more than 1,800 teachers expires Wednesday. Negotiations have been ongoing since March with the assistance of a state-appointed mediator.
Evergreen teachers made between $40,417 and $76,179 in total compensation during the 2015-2016 school year. Without additional district money added to their pay through bargaining, district teachers would earn between $41,144 and $77,549 during the 2016-2017 school year. That pay increase is the result of additional state money approved earlier this year.
The union and district were negotiating five points: curriculum, salary and benefits competitive with the state’s 10 largest districts; more support for special education students; additional counselors and support services; and securing enough substitute teachers by offering higher pay.