Kent teachers reached a tentative agreement with the Kent School District (KSD) at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Sept. 7, 2022.
Teachers have been on strike since Aug. 25, causing the cancelation of classes.
Kent Education Association (KEA) teachers are scheduled to vote on ratification of the new agreement at 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. School is expected to return to normal on Thursday, Sept. 8.
KSD and KEA agreed to keep details of the tentative agreement confidential until KEA membership has ratified the contract. The contract will then go before the Kent School District Board of Directors for formal approval.
Based on the tentative agreement, the Kent School District intends to start school on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
The union and district negotiated throughout the Labor Day weekend.
Members are asking for increased mental health supports for students, lowering class-sizes and increasing overload supports, as well as competitive salaries to match neighboring districts and align with the state’s 5.5% living increase.
The teacher’s union says there will be no picketing Wednesday morning, but afternoon community events can still take place.
