The Bainbridge Island School Board has approved a recently negotiated contract for classified employees.

The contract will affect custodians, bus drivers, mechanics, para-educators, food service workers and other employees.

The new agreement will provide benefits to bus drivers for trips and extra time, offer a one-time stipend to employees who have been with the district for an extended amount of years, and it establishes two pools of funding.

One will be used for professional development for technology specialists. The other amounts to $6,000 and will be used by para-educators to attend emergency preparedness workshops.

The contract also clarifies duty-free breaks, lunches and the leave-without-pay process.

A highlight of the contract is classified employees will also receive an overall compensation increase by about 2 percent.

In a memo to the board, Personnel and Transportation Director Cami Dombkowski said, “The negotiations were remarkably positive and collaborative and remained centered on what is best for students.”