Step Increases will be suspended, but one-time payouts are approved

Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

After months of tension and a breakdown in contract negotiations, School District 51 and the Mesa Valley Education Association reached an agreement through mediation, putting an end to this year’s impasse and avoiding the uncertainty of continued deadlock.

The mediated agreement, finalized July 14, now awaits ratification by the union membership and final approval from the school board.

According to an email sent from communicate@d51schools.org to staff members, a notable change is the suspension of vertical step increases for the 2025-26 school year in favor of one-time raises. According to the school district, “steps” refer to incremental salary increases educators typically receive for each additional year of service. Each year of experience usually corresponds with a higher step on the district’s salary schedule.

Although step increases will be suspended, teachers will receive a one-time, nonrecurring compensation increase and will still be eligible for horizontal lane movement, also known as “education lanes.” According to the district, these are salary increases awarded when a teacher attains additional educational qualifications, such as a master’s degree or professional development credits.

The one-time, nonrecurring compensation increase is equivalent to 2.3 percent of their base salary, capped at $3,000. The payment will be issued in two equal installments, one in December and the other in May. According to the school district, the adjustment is not “PERA-includable” and will not set a precedent for future raises.

The email reads: “It is our joint intent to restore the suspended 2025-2026 step if, and when,  additional recurring General Fund dollars become available.”

Other key components of the agreement include:

• Creation of a Joint Safety Committee: In response to ongoing safety concerns raised by staff during public-comment periods earlier this year, the school district and MVEA agreed to form a Student & Staff Safety Committee. The group, composed of district leaders, MVEA representatives and additional staff, will begin meeting monthly, starting in August.
• School Psychologist Support: The agreement includes a $2,000 stipend (prorated for full-time equivalent) for in-person school psychologists during the 2025-26 school year, paid in December and May. The district also agreed to study the role, placement and compensation of school psychologists, acknowledging a pay disparity between them and other special-service providers.
• TOSA Role Review: A letter of agreement was signed to revisit the language and expectations around Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA) during the upcoming school year.
• Class Size Monitoring: District leadership will assess class sizes within the first six weeks of the school year and adjust staffing, if needed. If changes lead to potential involuntary transfers, the district will consult with the MVEA president. Class-size concerns also are scheduled for discussion during the September Professional Council meeting.

The district clarified cost-sharing arrangements for health insurance premiums for the 2026 plan year for full-time employees.

“This agreement represents a shared commitment to stability and support for our educators – even in a challenging financial year shaped by pressures on both state and federal funding,” the district said in a message to employees.

This update follows a previous Business Times article published in June, which chronicled the fractured relationship between the MVEA and the school district after negotiations stalled and the district declared an impasse. You can read that article, Budget Pressures and a Fractured Relationship, online at thebusinesstimes.com.