Tentative teacher contract

After more than a year of negotiations, including an impasse last October that brought the state into the process, and talk of a possible first-ever strike, the Chico Unified School District and the Chico Unified Teachers Association appear to have reached a tentative agreement on contracts for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years.

In a joint statement posted on the CUSD website, CUSD Superintendent Kelly Staley and CUTA President Kevin Moretti said: “The road to this positive resolution has not been without its bumps and scrapes. However, the ultimate intention of both the District and CUTA has been the success of our students and the enhancement of the educational environment for our students, staff and the Chico community.”

If ratified by both the teachers association and the five-member school board, teachers will see a 3 percent pay increase retroactive to last July 1 and a 6 percent increase beginning Jan. 1, 2016.