On September 10 the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District Board of Directors met during a special Board meeting and approved (4-0) a proposed two-year (2018-19 & 2019-20) salary agreement with the teachers.

The new contract establishes an 11.2 percent increase in teachers’ total compensation. The new salary matrix shows starting teachers will receive $42,730 while, at the other end of the spectrum, teachers with 16-plus years of experience and a Master’s degree with 90 additional credits will receive $80,538.

Superintendent Lisa Nelson expressed her relief in having the deal done. “When you sit in a room of people for hours at a time, you learn quite a bit about them. What it really boiled down to is we wanted the same things: respect and good pay for the profession, but to also keep the District solvent and our programs sustainable. I think we accomplished that.”

“I love the staff in our District. They definitely have our kids’ best interests in mind. They are dedicated and committed, and we are planning to have a great school year,” she said.