SPS and the Seattle Education Association approved a 2026–2029 deal that phases modest base raises, preserves annual step increases, adds VEBA contributions, expands counseling and special education staffing, and updates work rules.
Educators get a guaranteed 8.8% total base salary increase over three years (2.6% in 2026–27, 3.6% in 2027–28, 2.6% in 2028–29) plus average annual step/seniority raises of about 4%.
The contract creates 40 new paraprofessional and certificated positions, increases central and school psychologists, and guarantees a full-time counselor or social worker at every elementary school with enrollment over 350.
# What the agreement covers Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and the Seattle Education Association (SEA) ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement covering the 2026–2029 school years. The deal combines base pay increases, continued step and seniority movement, new staffing for student supports, modest health-account contributions, and several changes to working conditions and district policies.
The agreement guarantees an 8.8% increase to base salaries across three school years. The schedule is 2.6% for 2026–27, 3.6% for 2027–28, and 2.6% for 2028–29. Eligible staff will also continue to receive standard annual step and seniority raises, which the reporting source says average about 4% per year.
The contract directs new investment in special education and student support services. Specifically, the district will create 40 new paraprofessional and certificated positions focused on academic, social-emotional, and behavioral support and establish new regional support teams.
Neighborhood school special education resources will grow and the number of central and school psychologists will be increased to speed up student evaluations. Mental health and counseling resources are prioritized. Every elementary school with more than 350 students is guaranteed funding for a full-time counselor or social worker.
The agreement establishes formal rules for responsible deployment of AI in classrooms, addressing instruction, data privacy, and student safeguards.
Negotiations produced a tentative agreement that kept the 2026–27 school year start on schedule and averted potential disruption at the start of school. The ratified deal is presented as a three-year settlement that balances modest base pay growth with investments intended to accelerate student evaluations, increase counseling capacity, and add frontline support staff.
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