Dublin teachers, district reach tentative deal that could end strike Monday
The Dublin Unified School District and the Dublin Teachers Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract, potentially bringing an end to the teacher strike that began earlier this week.
If approved by union members and ratified by the district, the agreement would allow teachers to return to classrooms on Monday.
Hundreds of teachers in the district began striking earlier this week after contract negotiations stalled. The Dublin Teachers Association had been seeking a 3.5% raise, expanded health care coverage, smaller class sizes and a full-time counselor at every elementary school.
Under the tentative agreement announced Thursday, teachers would receive a 2.3% ongoing pay increase effective July 1, 2025.
The agreement also increases the district's contribution toward health care premiums over the next several years. The district would cover 85% of the Kaiser single premium beginning July 1, 2026, increasing to 90% on Jan. 1, 2027, and reaching 100% on Jan. 1, 2028.
Several class size and staffing changes are also included in the agreement.
Elementary class sizes would be reduced across multiple grade levels, with kindergarten classes dropping from 24 students to 23. First grade would decrease from 25 students to 24, grades two and three would drop from 26 students to 24, and grades four and five would decrease from 28 students to 26.
The agreement also lowers several special education caseload limits, including reducing speech and language pathologist caseloads from 55 students to 50. Educational specialist caseloads in secondary schools would drop from 28 students to 23.
At the high school level, physical education classes would be capped at 45 students per class.
Other changes include providing an elementary school counselor at every transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade campus through the 2027–2028 school year.
The tentative agreement must still be approved by members of the Dublin Teachers Association and ratified by the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees before it becomes official.