Arrr! Nevada's mightiest school district and the shipshape teachers union strike a fine accord for gold doubloons!
2023-12-21
Avast, me hearties! Arrr, after many moons of hagglin' and jawin', a mighty fine accord be struck fer 18,000 landlubber teachers in Nevada's Clark County! The officials be singin' the sweetest shanty o' victory, they be!
In Nevada's most populous county, Clark County, public school teachers have finally reached a new contract after months of negotiations. The arbitrator accepted the new contract for the 18,000 teachers in the Clark County School District, ending a bitter fight between the teachers' union and the School Board of Trustees and Superintendent Jesus Jara.The new contract includes base salary increases of 10% in the first year and 8% in the second year, with additional pay for special education teachers. Back pay for this year will also be distributed to teachers starting in March 2024. The school district will increase its contributions towards monthly health care premiums by 19.7%, while employees will not have to pay more in premiums.
The starting annual pay for teachers will be $53,000, with the top salary exceeding $131,000 when considering the rise approved earlier this year by the Nevada Legislature. The Clark County School District has nearly 380 schools in Las Vegas and surrounding areas.
The contract talks had been ongoing since March, and in September, teachers called in sick over several days, leading to school closures. The teachers union had been seeking almost 20% across-the-board pay raises over two years, as well as additional compensation for special education and teachers in high-vacancy schools. The school district's most recent offer was a 17.4% raise over two years.
The teachers union hailed the new contract as a significant moment in their efforts to have qualified educators in every classroom. Superintendent Jara expressed his satisfaction with the contract, stating that it provides historic pay increases while aligning with the district's budget.