Highlands School District teachers have shored up a five-year contract that awards them a 3.5% average salary increase each year through 2030.
School board members on Tuesday approved the contract with the Highlands Education Association, well ahead of the current agreement’s June 30 expiration.
“The deal is the result of a strong working relationship that the association, administration and school board have worked on developing over the last few years,” union President Michelle Dickerson said.
“Throughout the process, we were able to have open and honest dialogue about the issues that were most important to both sides and, even in areas where we didn’t agree, we were able to find compromise.”
Under the new deal, teachers could earn 17% more in the final year of the contract thatn in its first year, depending on their tenure and education.
An entry-level teacher will earn $54,725 in 2026-27. That teacher’s salary will climb to $64,200 by 2030-31.
Top-earners paid $97,500 at the beginning of the contract will earn $106,550 in the final year of the deal.
Dickerson said the goal was to make Highlands’ starting and career rates competitive with nearby districts to attract and maintain the best quality educators.
“We think we took a step in that direction with this contract,” she said.
Dickerson said the deal provides fair benefits and respects the board’s financial position and goals for the future.
Highlands administrators did not immediately return TribLive calls seeking comment.
The approved deal was widely welcomed after teachers went more than seven months without a contract before the most recent one was signed in 2022.
“We are grateful for the district’s willingness to start this process early and appreciate their investment in the educators that work with our students each day,” Dickerson said. “Our members are happy to have the collective bargaining agreement settled so that we can solely focus on our work in the classroom.”