(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by St. Cloud Area School District.)

St. Cloud Area School District 742 and the Minnesota School Employees Association are pleased to report that they have reached a tentative two-year agreement for the 2021-2023 contract with the paraeducator employees of the district, subject to ratification by unit members and approval by the School Board. The paraprofessional bargaining unit represents approximately 300 employees of the school district who perform critical student support services in St. Cloud schools and programs every day.

Superintendent Willie Jett says, “We are thrilled to reach a settlement with this important employee group before the start of the school year. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment help ensure the academic success of our students while creating a caring and supportive environment every day in our schools.”

The 2019-2021 contract expired on June 30th and district administration and the paraprofessional bargaining team worked quickly to develop a mutually acceptable agreement before the start of the school year. For 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, for each year of the contract the terms of the agreement include increases in hourly rates for new employees, additional increases in hourly wages for current staff over and above the new starting rates, and increases to longevity pay for employees with five or more years of service.

In addition to these pay changes, the school board has authorized significant increases in health insurance contributions for all non-licensed school staff, as well as $1,500 per year in recruitment and retention stipends for all employees of the School District for the next two years.

Paraprofessional staff will vote on the agreement after returning to school in September and if approved, the School Board will vote on the agreement at their regularly scheduled board meeting on September 15th.