The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) and the Alameda Education Association (AEA) reached a tentative agreement on June 8 to end a negotiation process that was almost declared an impasse.

The 11th-hour deal was struck after both sides decided to have one last meeting before both sides declared they would walk away from the negotiation table and request the Public Employment Relations Board declare an impasse (“Teacher’s Union at Odds with School District” June 9.)

Under the terms of the agreement, AEA members will receive a 3.7 percent salary increase for the 2016-17 school year, according to a joint press release from AUSD and AEA. 

About 3.1 percent of that increase is new money; the remaining .59 percent will be re-allocated from members’ dental benefits. 

Other terms of the agreement include providing prep times to kindergarten teachers as they transition to a full-day program, reducing class size to 24:1 in transitional kindergarten and kindergarten, increase flexibility for using leave time and creating a formal process for class size overages.

The deal still needs the seal of approval from both the teachers and members of the board. Both sides will vote on the agreement before the end of June.