ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Paul teachers approved tentative contract agreements with the district Thursday.
A majority of all three units of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers (SPFT) approved the agreements.
The agreements involve the district and union partnering on ways to find additional revenue for schools, including looking for partnerships with large corporations and higher education nonprofits.
It also include using resources from those partnerships to help English Learners and special education students, as well as expand the district's mental health services.
“We are proud of the gains we made for our English Learners and students enrolled in special education students in this round of negotiations,” said SPFT President Nick Faber in a press release. “We know we still have more work to do to lower class sizes and ensure that our schools have the mental health supports our students need. Hopefully, we can partner with Saint Paul Public Schools to find the resources necessary to create the schools Saint Paul students deserve.”
The district also agreed to hire more staff, including teachers for English Learners and special education support staff.
The St. Paul Board of Education is expected to vote on the contracts at its March board meeting.
