The start of the 2022-2023 school year in the Kent School District will be delayed due to a teachers’ strike over a contract dispute.

Superintendent Israel Vela announced Wednesday, Aug. 24 on the school district website that the scheduled start of school on Thursday, Aug. 25 will be delayed due to the strike.

“We remain in negotiations with the KEA (Kent Education Association) and remain committed to reaching an agreement and starting school as soon as possible,” Vela said.

Teachers plan to picket Thursday morning at the 42 schools and academies across the district. The district has about 2,000 teachers and just under 24,000 students.

About 95% of teachers who attended a Kent Education Association (KEA, union) meeting Monday night, Aug. 22 voted to strike if no contract agreement could be reached. Union and district negotiators met Tuesday and Wednesday with a mediator but failed to reach an agreement.

The main issues are mental health support for students, competitive salaries, lower class sizes for teachers and smaller caseloads for specialists such as special education teachers, according to the union.

High school and middle school offices and the district central office will remain open, according to the district. In addition, families can continue to register their children through the district website.

High school sports programs will continue, according to the district. All elementary and middle school activities will be postponed until further notice.

The union and district reached a last-minute settlement in 2018 to avoid a strike. Teachers were on strike for about three weeks in 2009, which delayed the start of school until Sept. 15.

Article Source: Kent Reporter