St. Paul Public Schools teachers vote in favor of new contract

Krystal Frasier KSTP
(FILE/KSTP-TV)

A tentative agreement reached by St. Paul Public Schools and the St. Paul Federation of Educators is headed to the school board for final approval after union members voted to ratify the contract.

Voting was done earlier this week and results were certified on Wednesday.

According to the St. Paul Federation of Teachers, the new contract, once approved, will have licensed staff see an increase in salaries of $3,500 in 2023-2024. In addition, school and community service professionals will see salary raises of $3,084.

Meanwhile, the union says educational assistants will see a salary increase of $2.25 an hour for 2023-2024.

All three groups will see a 4% increase for 2024-2025.

The contract also reportedly includes the following:

  • Increased district contributions to health insurance;
  • Keeping current class size language and caps;
  • Maintaining the current staffing for mental health teams in each school;
  • Additional time for special education teachers to complete required due-process paperwork;
  • Fewer numbers of cases for early childhood special education teachers and for those in Federal Settings I and II;
  • Creating a site council at each school which includes teachers, parents, students and district administrators so group discussions can be had on budget priorities, events and other issues at each site.

RELATED: St. Paul Public Schools officials speak after teachers file strike notice

The ratification comes nearly one month after a strike authorization vote was held, where 92% of members voted in favor of a strike.

Erica Wacker, a spokesperson for the district, sent the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Thursday:

“Saint Paul Public Schools is pleased to hear the Saint Paul Federation of Educators have ratified their new employment contracts. These contracts represent an important investment in our staff and the future of our district. 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.”