Seattle Public Schools has ratified a new three-year contract with the Seattle Education Association, formally securing an agreement that averted a strike and established pay and staffing arrangements through to 2029.
The school board’s approval on 16 September followed a ratification vote by the union, which represents about 6,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and other school staff. The two sides reached a tentative agreement on 1 September, just hours before the new academic year was due to begin.
The deal followed 30 bargaining sessions held since August and allowed classes to start as scheduled on 2 September. Preschool and kindergarten pupils began their term on 8 September.
What the Seattle Public Schools contract includes
Teachers will receive a guaranteed 8.8% increase in base pay over three years, with rises of 2.6% in 2026-27, 3.6% in 2027-28 and 2.6% in 2028-29. Eligible employees will also continue to receive annual step and seniority increases.
The agreement also creates voluntary healthcare savings accounts, expands support for special education and provides additional staffing for school nurses, psychologists, social workers and counsellors.
The Seattle Education Association said the contract would introduce a data-led process for shaping special education services, while protecting educators’ time for planning and collaboration. It also includes new support positions and measures intended to help more pupils receive services in their local schools.
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said the agreement provided the district with a clearer financial outlook for the next three years. Union president Ibi Idowu said members had secured improvements for pupils and classrooms despite continuing budget pressures.
The contract brings to a close negotiations that had threatened to disrupt the start of the school year after union members authorised a potential strike. With both sides now having approved the agreement, the settlement governs the 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years.
