St. Paul teachers and other staff voted to approve new contract agreements Thursday, a week and a half after negotiators struck a deal to avoid a strike.
The St. Paul Federation of Teachers said a “clear majority” of voting members from each of the three bargaining units voted Thursday to ratify the agreements.
Teachers will get a 1 percent increase on their salary schedule effective Jan. 6 and another 1 percent next school year.
The school district also agreed to hire 30 more English learner teachers and 23 special education staffers over two years.
And district and union officials will work together to pursue new revenue sources, including a possible property tax referendum.
“We are proud of the gains we made for our English Learners and students enrolled in special education students in this round of negotiations,” union president Nick Faber said in a prepared statement.
“We know we still have more work to do to lower class sizes and ensure that our schools have the mental health supports our students need. Hopefully, we can partner with Saint Paul Public Schools to find the resources necessary to create the schools Saint Paul students deserve.”
The school board will vote on the contracts next month.