Seattle teachers begin contract negotiations under cloud of $100 million shortfall

Contract talks have started between Seattle Public Schools and its teachers’ union over two agreements that expire this summer.

With federal K-12 education funding up in the air, and the district facing a projected long-term revenue shortfall of more than $100 million a year, the Seattle Education Association proposed a one-year extension of the existing contract for certificated teachers in the hope of resuming talks when the district has a clearer — and, hopefully, rosier — financial outlook.

SEA President Girard Montejo-Thompson said the district proposed a two-year extension of the contract. Montejo-Thompson said the union wants to focus negotiations on the paraprofessional contract, which includes school secretaries, paraeducators who work with special education students, and other support staff.

“A lot of those folks aren't making enough to be able to live in the city they work in,” Montejo-Thompson said.

The district did not acknowledge that element of the union’s initial proposal, he said.

“We’re disappointed," Montejo-Thompson said. "They’re not really acknowledging the strain that our staff are under, and I just think particularly to be pushing back on this, when they just gave the superintendent a 6.7% raise, and we’re not asking for that much.”

Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Sophia Charchuk declined an interview request but said in an emailed statement that "as negotiations are ongoing, we will not be sharing specific details at this time but remain hopeful about the path ahead." The district called the talks "constructive" and "respectful."

The current teachers’ contract was ratified in 2022 following a one-week strike that delayed the start of school. The contracts now on the table expire Aug. 31.