New contract for BISD educational support staff gets OK from Bainbridge school board

The Bainbridge Island School District has approved a collective bargaining agreement for non-certificated staff.

The Bainbridge Island Educational Support Professional Association presented the school board with a collective bargaining agreement last week with a 6.3 percent salary increase for support staff that included a 2.3 percent state cost-of-living adjustment.

Also included in the agreement is the addition of a paraeducator Level 4 position, which seeks to provide competitive compensation for support staff assigned to students who are deemed to be “highly challenging,” officials said.

Under the new union contract, a professional development fund was also increased from $12,000 to $13,000 annually, as was a building meeting fund.

The maximum number of vacation days for year-round employees was increased from 20 to 22.

A letter of agreement was also worked into the agreement which stated that the district would continue to address safety and best practices for employees working with students with severe behavioral issues.

The decision to approve the bargaining agreement came unanimously, but without full board approval as the decision was made in the absence of board members Tim Kinkead and Mev Hoberg. The vote was 3-0.