Dayton board accepts teachers contract

New school year opened as normal in Dayton on Tuesday.

Dayton’s school board voted 6-0 Tuesday night to adopt the tentative contract with the teachers union.

Dayton’s school board voted 6-0 Tuesday night to adopt the tentative contract with the teachers union, allowing the school year to move forward after months of labor strife.

The teachers had ratified the two-year contract Thursday and opened the school year Tuesday as normal, with the expectation that the board would say yes hours later.

“I want to express my gratitude to all those individuals who worked so hard to make this situation come out as it did, and I don’t take that for granted,” board member Hazel Rountree said. “I think people conceded on both sides, people devoted tremendous time and energy and thought, and I think this is a time for celebration.”

Rountree said a back-toschool rally for teachers will be announced today.

Union leaders said teachers were excited to return to their classrooms Tuesday.

“Today was a great day,” said teachers union vice president Joni Watson. “The kids were happy to be back, and the teachers were really happy to be back. It was a great day for everybody.”

The contract gives teachers back-to-back 3 percent base pay raises that are on the high end of Dayton-area contracts, and boosts some longevity raises. But it does not pay the retroactive step raises from past years that the union sought and that some other districts paid.

Teachers union President David Romick said the raises keep starting salaries competitive and “reward some of us longtermers for our devotion to the district.” He also cited good contract language on teacher evaluations and working with English as a second language students.

“We’re pleased overall, and we look forward to moving forward and working with the district to