The bargaining teams from the Juneau Education Association (JEA) and the Juneau School District (JSD) reached a tentative agreement (TA) on Friday, March 20th. The parties began negotiating for a new successor agreement on February 12, 2025. The two-year agreement covers the current school year and the 2026-2027 school year.

The JEA bargaining unit is the district’s largest employee association, representing about 275 teachers and certified staff. JEA is a local affiliate of NEA-Alaska.

“After over a year of bargaining, I am proud to say that we’ve reached an agreement with the District that addresses the top concerns of Juneau educators and the students they serve,” said Jeannette Sleppy, President of JEA. “Ultimately, I truly appreciate the hard work of the bargaining team, our members' resolve, and the District for their willingness to achieve a result that’s good for students, families, and our hard-working public school employees.”

The tentative agreement must be ratified by a majority of JEA members and the Juneau Board of Education prior to being adopted.

“The school board is grateful for the work of both teams in reaching a tentative agreement that recognizes our teachers and the value they bring to the classroom every day in support of our students,” said Board President Cioni-Haywood. “We look forward to the agreement being ratified and coming before the board for approval.”

Both teams would like to thank Dan Hickey from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for his support in reaching this agreement.

Terms of the tentative agreement are currently being finalized for publication and will be available in the Board of Education packet.