The Sweet Home School District and the Sweet Home Education Association have reached agreement on a new three-year licensed contract covering the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.
The agreement includes updates to compensation, benefits, working conditions, and clarification of several contract provisions.
The agreement was unanimously approved by School Board members during a brief virtual meeting on March 20.
Following are the major changes or provisions of the contract, as reported by the district:
Compensation and Benefits
- Annual cost-of-living adjustments will be no less than 3% and no more than 5% per year, depending on the year-to-year change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), consistent with the index used by the State of Oregon.
- The District’s insurance contribution will increase by $65 per month each insurance year of the contract.
- The mentor teacher stipend will increase from $750 to $1,000 per mentor per year.
- The salary schedule was adjusted to add additional steps to the BA and BA+24 columns, allowing affected teachers to continue advancing on the salary schedule for additional years.
- Several existing memorandums of understanding were incorporated into the contract, including Teacher of Record, IEP coverage, and junior high extended season agreements.
Work Year and Work Day
- The early release Wednesday at the end of each semester grading period will be reserved for uninterrupted grading and next-semester preparation unless professional development is scheduled.
- Contract language was clarified to specify that life skills and special education class combinations, including unified or inclusive physical education, are not considered combining two full elementary classes for purposes of combined class compensation.
Transfers and Assignments
- Teachers who are assigned or transferred to a position requiring a new preparation after August 15 or after the start of the school year will receive additional pay for preparation.
Distance Learning
- The agreement clarifies that the District will bargain the impact of distance learning if it results in a material change to working conditions, consistent with state law.
Post-Retirement Employment.
- Contract language was clarified regarding which contract provisions apply to post-retirement employees who return to work.
Association Rights
- Language was added confirming that association rights and access are governed by Oregon public employee labor law (ORS Chapter 243).
Steve Thorpe, president of the district’s certified employees union, called the contract “very fair and balanced.”
“It shows that the district values its teachers,” he said, “and it takes care of people like me who are retired and working back.”
“When other districts are going on strike and walking out, we’re able to sit down and work out something fair for the teachers.
“I’m pretty proud of what the union did.”