Pasco Teachers Reach ‘Tentative’ Deal, School to Start Tuesday

Following news Saturday midday about a tentative agreement reached between Pasco teachers and the Pasco School District over teacher pay, school is slated to start Tuesday.

It would have anyway, as the current contract between the Pasco Association of Educators (PAE) doesn't expire until Friday 8-31, but pending an approval vote by the teachers, it helps ward off a chance of class interruptions.

The district and teachers had been negotiating throughout the weekend with help of an arbitrator, over salaries. Some $2 billion dollars had been set aside by the legislature specificially for teacher pay, but due to a variety of procedures and rules, some districts were having more difficulty reaching agreements.

The PAE will have to vote on and approve the agreement. If passed, it would be a two-year deal.