ASD, teachers union reach tentative contract agreement

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Representatives of the Anchorage School District and the union representing teachers came to a tentative, one-year contract agreement, according to officials on Friday.

The contract agreement covers roughly 3,000 educators in Anchorage from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Representatives of the Anchorage Education Association and the school district both cited fundamental compensation and working condition sticking points as the key changes in the latest contract, including salary increases for “all educators in the bargaining unit,” and a “significant” increase to the employer health contribution.

District Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt said in a statement that it represented the “largest single-year wage and health benefits increase” in over 10 years for Anchorage educators.

“We have some of the hardest working and most dedicated teachers, counselors, nurses, and other educators at ASD, who work diligently to advance our mission and improve student outcomes,” Bryantt said. “This tentative agreement represents our collective commitment and dedication to those on the frontlines who give students the skills they need to succeed in life.”

The president of the teacher’s union, Corey Aist, said in the statement that it is “high time” that the state legislature and Gov. Mike Dunleavy work to increase the Base Student Allocation, which is a yearly amount of state funding for each K-12 student in Alaska’s public school districts. Currently, the BSA is set at $5,960.

“Every day, I wake up with a singular purpose: to discover solutions that enable ASD educators to continue their teaching journey here in Anchorage. Over the past three years, we’ve witnessed the departure of more than 1,150 educators to more enticing offers in other districts or entirely different career paths. This one-year agreement seamlessly extends our current contract, offering financial security and well-deserved raises to our dedicated educators,” Aist said.

Members of the AEA will have time to review the agreement before taking a vote to ratify it in late November, officials said. If it passes, the Anchorage School Board will vote to approve and adopt the ratified agreement at its Dec. 5 meeting.

Copyright 2023 KTUU. All rights reserved.