ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – After eight months of talks, Rochester Education Association (REA) announced Wednesday evening it has reached a tentative agreement with the school district.
Details of the agreement include compensation increases of six percent for the 2023-2024 school year and 1.05-percent for the 2024-2025 school year, along with significant increases in Rochester Public Schools’ contributions to health insurance premiums.
According to REA president Vince Wagner, the tentative agreement will be voted on by its members between March 5 and March 10. If approved, it will then be presented to the school board on March 19 for final approval.
“REA member salaries have not kept up with inflation in the past 20 years,” Wagner said. “Teachers deserve to be compensated adequately and this settlement is a step towards correcting those inequities.”
Additionally, the tentative agreement an memorandum of agreement (MOA) to limit elementary class sizes. They include: kindergarten at 20 students; first grade at 24 students; second grade at 26 students; third grade at 28 students; and fourth and fifth grades at 30 students.
“Larger classes, particularly at the primary level, result in decreased learning opportunities for students,” added Wagner. “We believe the MOA with RPS regarding class size limits is a large step towards doing so.”
Teachers in Rochester had been working without a contract since July 2023.
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