(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
MEAD, Wash. -Two of Spokane County's 19 school districts have come to a contract agreement with their union, following the influx of state funds stemming from the McCleary court decision. East Valley's Education Association agreed earlier on Monday and the latest now is the Mead Education Association.
The president of the Mead Education Association, Toby Doolittle says they are looking at about a 16 percent salary increase, benefits not included.
The Mead Education Association spent nearly two hours going over the collective bargaining agreement that was tentatively agreed upon between the Mead School District and the association.
Over 500 educators voted Monday night and Doolittle says only a handful of people voted no. The contract agreement would go until August 31, 2021. Doolittle says it creates a new salary schedule for educators and it also helps reduce caseloads to the elementary special education resource rooms so they can give more attention to those students.
"We think it's a win for our members but we also think it's a win for our district. They've demonstrated the value that they show in our educators and the value in attracting and retaining good professionals, so we are excited to go to work and get to know the most important thing which is our students," said Doolittle.
So what's the next step? The Mead Education Association has to bring this all to the Mead School District board so they can ratify. They are waiting for an exact date of when that school board meeting will be.