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Jeffco Public Schools and the district’s teachers union have reached a tentative deal for a new four-year contract that, if ratified, will give educators a 5% cost-of-living raise, the Jefferson County Education Association announced Monday.
The deal was reached two months before the union’s contract expires on July 31 and includes an additional one-time payment for educators that will equal 2% of their salary. Jeffco Public Schools will pay the one-time payment using money from its $211 million in reserves, according to the union’s news release.
The 5% cost-of-living raise will come on top of any increase educators will see in their “steps and lanes” compensation, which is based on teachers’ experience and education level.
The raise means salaries for Jeffco Public Schools educators will range between $55,256 and $110,743 during the 2024-25 academic year.
Educators who work in dual-language schools or are special education providers also will receive additional annual stipends, according to the tentative deal. The new contract still has to be ratified by union members and the district’s Board of Education, according to the news release.
“Over the past two years, we have seen our legislature make a historic investment in education and finally end the (budget stabilization) factor,” said union president Brooke Williams in a statement. “Though this may mark the end of the long-running IOU impacting school funding, Colorado is still a long way from fully funding education, and that has harmed our ability to give our students the best educational experiences and pay our educators a living wage. While we continue to advocate for funding for our students, we need Jeffco Public Schools to continue to invest funding into its employees.”
A representative for Jeffco Public Schools could not immediately be reached for comment.
The new contract between Jeffco Public Schools and its teachers union comes as nearby Denver Public Schools is in the midst of a contract dispute with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association over how much educators’ salaries will increase next school year.
Colorado lawmakers this year eliminated what is known as the budget stabilization factor, which diverted billions dollars from education to other priorities. But despite more money going to K-12 schools, DPS has said it’s not enough to fully fund teacher raises for the 2024-25 academic year.
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