ST. LOUIS — Teachers and staff at St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) will receive a 17% pay increase over the next three years, which was noted as “the largest pay increase in a single contract” in almost 20 years.
Union members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 420, which represents SLPS teachers and staff, voted on the contract Monday night and was followed by a unanimous approval by the SLPS Board of Education Tuesday night in a special meeting.
“We are here to celebrate the momentous partnership that we have with AFT Local 420,” SLPS Superintendent Dr. Keisha Scarlett said at Wednesday’s press conference, adding that the new pay raise is a step in the right direction.
This new contract replaces the previous one that was set to end in 2026.
“This agreement is an incredibly important step for everyone involved, most notably the children of St. Louis,” Scarlett said.
“This increase underscores St. Louis Public Schools’ commitment to fair compensation and retention of high quality educators.”
The pay raise for teachers will start with a 7% increase in fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1, and an additional increase of 5% for the following two years.
Jami Edwards teaches second grade at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy Elementary School. She has been teaching for 10 years and has been with SLPS for four years.
“I was very excited to hear that we were getting a pay raise because as teachers, we are known to have an occupation that requires a lot of us,” she told Spectrum News. “And while we have degrees and multiple letters after our name, our pay doesn’t show that.”
Edwards said the pay raise means a lot to her and her family.
“It is kind of frustrating because this past year we had bonuses,” she said. “And to go from those bonuses to now a 7% raise in our contract is almost a loss in money.”
Edwards added that the new contract brings the promise of a larger salary if teachers stay in the district for the full three-year agreement.
“It really matters that you stay in the district for that long because it is spread out over time,” she said. “Right now, you kind of don’t get the benefits of it as you will three years from now because you were getting bonuses that you’re now no longer getting.”
Edwards noted that it is difficult to justify staying in the district when surrounding school districts are paying their teachers and staff more.
“The fact that we’re still moving forward and making changes, it shows that the district cares,” she said.
Scarlett noted that SLPS “recognizes the importance of attracting and retaining top talent and professionals who play an integral role in shaping the future of St. Louis as a city and our school district.”
SLPS Board of Education President Toni Cousins said the board is proud of the new agreement.
“We have worked hard for this,” she said. “This is definitely the first step in what we’re trying to do to show, which we’ve always said as a board, that our teachers are important.”
“We have to make sure that we’re supporting our teachers. Our teachers, our administration, they all come first.”
Special education teachers will receive a 10% pay increase for fiscal year 2025 and a 22% total raise over the three-year term of the deal. Other employees represented by Local 420 will receive at least a 10% raise over the three-year period.
The raises apply to new hires as well.
The contract also includes trade workers being represented by the union for the first time, in addition to employees now being compensated on inclement weather days. Full payment for two inclement weather days each year is included for workers in the agreement.
Scarlett said the money for the raises will come from the district’s operating budget and reserves. In its first year, Chief Financial Officer Angie Banks said the raises will cost the district approximately $10 million, and in the second and third years, it will cost around $7 million.
Scarlett mentioned the district will have to “tighten our belts” and reduce spending to align with district goals. In 2022, St. Louis City voters approved Prop S, a $160 million, no tax rate change bond issue for the district’s capital improvement projects.
President of Local 420 Ray Cummings expressed gratitude to the union’s executive board and both of the negotiating teams. He noted that the district’s offer was approved by 78% of union members.
“All categories of employees represented by the union will receive well-deserved increases over the next three years,” Cummings said. “This agreement demonstrates a real, good faith effort to recruit and retain our dedicated workforce.”
Cummings said the union looks forward to the continued partnership with Scarlett and the education board.
“We are really, truly better together,” he said.
The new contract agreement was signed at Wednesday’s press conference by Scarlett, Cummings and Cousins.
“We really have been working hard to show how AFT Local 420, and the board and the district are really working together and how it takes all of us to come together to make things possible,” Cousins said.
Cousins mentioned how board members and administration already have received positive feedback from the St. Louis community about the new contract.
“I got a text message today saying that one of the preschool teachers is now leaving and looking to apply for St. Louis Public Schools because of this increase,” she said.
“I think it’s really going to change the mindset and let people see that we really do genuinely understand the impact and how important finances are when it comes to trying to raise a family.”