Earlier this week, negotiators for the Mercer Island Education Association (MIEA) and the Mercer Island School District (MISD) reached a tentative agreement on a new two-year collective bargaining agreement for teachers and most classified school employees.

As of Tuesday, the MIEA ratified the agreement at 5:45 p.m. The new agreement is for a two-year contract that expires August 2020 for both certificated and classified staff members. In regard to compensation, classified members will receive a 16.2 percent increase. Certificated members will receive an average of a 14.74 percent increase with the starting salary at $56,497 and ending salary at $113,037 for the 2018-19 school year. Changes to the certificated work year will also change. The 2018-19 school work year has increased from 183.5 to 185 days. In 2019-20, two optional days will be added.