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Contract for Juneau teachers gets final OK from school board
- Mark Sabbatini
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Educators, school board members both praise agreement after long and contentious negotiations; some concern about newer teachers getting less expressed
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A new two-year contract for Juneau’s public school teachers cleared the final hurdle on Tuesday night when it was unanimously ratified by the Juneau Board of Education.
The contract for 275 teachers and certified staff comes after more than a year of negotiations that near the end saw educators vote to authorize a strike. But teachers and district leaders generally offered words of praise for the outcome during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
"I've been speaking for our union a lot this year," Kelley Harvey, a teacher at Auke Bay Elementary School, told the board. "This time I'm here, just me, and I just wanted to thank you all. Thank you for listening to us. Thank you for hearing us when we gave our testimony. Thank you for directing your team to go back to the table and open up lines of communication…It just feels like that weight has been lifted off of us, and we can all focus on the end of the year and wrapping up with our kiddos."
The compromise agreement includes a salary increase of 3% for the current school year and 6.25% next year — although this year’s amount is an average, with individuals getting varying amounts based on experience — plus a 2% lump-sum payment. The Juneau Education Association, representing the teachers, had sought increases of 8% the first year and 9% the second year. The district was offering a one-year deal with a 3% increase.
A similar compromise occurred with health insurance contributions, and JEA officials said they prevailed in retaining a top-tier "Step 18" pay classification for senior-most educators and preventing a reduction in prep time for middle school instructors.
The teachers' unions ratified the contract last week. Board members at Tuesday’s meeting noted the negotiations were both extraordinarily long as well as contentious.
"Like many people on the JEA side there is the frustration it wasn't everything they wanted," said Steve Whitney, a board member from 2016 to 2019 and again beginning in May 2025. "I've got some frustrations too. On all of our (contracts) I’ve noticed that the people at the lower end, they're in a position where it's going to be tough I think, and so the starting teachers I wish we'd be able to give them more."
Whitney said he’s also concerned those teachers will be the first laid off if the district experiences financial struggles during the next couple of years.
Both board members and educators noted some of the district’s funding fate is in the hands of state lawmakers — with Gov. Mike Dunleavy a target of accusations of insufficient funds — and noted this fall’s election means a new governor and likely many new legislators will be at the Capitol when it’s time to discuss the next contract.
"I sincerely hope he will take advantage of his tier one pension benefits in the very near future, and that all of our negotiations going forward will find these school districts on better financial footing," said Chris Heidemann, JEA’s former president, in his comments to the board.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
