Kent teacher union reaches tentative agreement with school district
(The Center Square) – After 13 days of a strike, the Kent Education Association (KEA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Kent School District (KSD).
The district said it intends to start…
(The Center Square) – After 13 days of a strike, the Kent Education Association (KEA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Kent School District (KSD).
The district said it intends to start school Thursday, Sept. 8, pending the union board’s vote and formal approval Wednesday night.
“KEA has reached a tentative agreement in the wee hours of the morning,” the union said in a Facebook post.
KSD said the agreement came “shortly before 3 a.m,” according to a statement.
The union will not picket today as a result of the agreement, but “afternoon community events can still take place,” the post said.
A teacher within the district could make $102,483 after 12 years if that teacher had a Master’s degree and 90 additional credit hours, according to the previous union contract.
The average annual salary for a teacher varied as of 2021. An elementary school teacher had an average salary of $77,424, while a secondary school teacher had an average salary of $84,498.
The median household income in the city of Kent was $73,891 from 2016 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census.
No details have been provided to the public yet on the agreed contract between KEA and KSD.
The district said it intends to rebuild its relationship with the union following weeks of negotiations and potential lawsuit authorization against the union. The school board ultimately came to a no-decision after a 2-2 vote.
“KSD is focused on rebuilding relationships and trust. We remain committed to a fresh start, centered on our mission to educate students,” the district said. “We restate our commitment to direct our collective energies to what we value most — serving our students and their success.”
