St. Paul teachers ratify contract

St. Paul educators have ratified a contract agreement between the teachers union and district in a deal that was reached less than a week before a planned strike.

The St. Paul Federation of Educators leaders said Thursday that an overwhelming majority of its members approved the two-year contract. It will now go to the school board for a vote.

The union said the contract includes 4% raises in the 2024-25 school year, plus fixed increases, retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. Those fixed increases amount to $3,500 for licensed staff, $3,084 for school and community service professionals, and an hourly increase of $2.25 for education assistants.

The union also highlighted increased district health insurance contributions and more support for educators working with students with special needs. As part of the agreement, each school will have a site council comprised of educators, parents, students and district administrators.

The contract was reached in a year that several unions have negotiated larger-than-usual raises after the state boosted funding for schools.

“With historic funding from the state, now was the time to be bold for our members and our students — and we were,” union president Leah VanDassor said. “I’m proud of the improvements we won for our schools with this contract and the past progress we were able to expand upon.”

The St. Paul district faces a projected $107 million deficit next year, but the Superintendent Joe Gothard has said the teachers’ contract is not expected to add to that.

“These contracts represent an important investment in our staff and the future of our district,” the district said in a statement Thursday.

“More details about the agreements, including updated financial information, will be available after the Board of Education votes on the contracts at the March 19 regular meeting.”

Current starting pay for a St. Paul teacher with a bachelor’s degree is about $49,000 this year, according to the district’s salary schedule. A teacher with a Ph.D. and 20 years of experience earns about $102,000.

The district said recently that about half of its teachers are paid more than $90,000.

Staff writer Anthony Lonetree contributed to this story.