District Statement on JEA-JSD Negotiations - April 25, 2025
Representatives from the Juneau School District (JSD) and Juneau Education Association (JEA) met on February 12, 2025, to begin negotiations on a new contract. The JEA bargaining unit is the district’s largest employee association, representing about 275 teachers and certified staff in the Juneau School District.
JEA is a local affiliate of National Education Association Alaska.The current agreement between JSD and JEA expires on June 30, 2025. All efforts to reach a successor agreement will be made in the upcoming months.
The Juneau Board of Education values all of our staff highly and have advocated to the Governor and Legislature to increase the Base Student Allocation (BSA) as it controls the salary and benefits package we can offer employees.
Members of the school board are committed to a fair and respectful bargaining process.
We are legally and ethically prohibited from discussing or negotiating the terms of a contract outside the established bargaining process.
We value our teachers and the vital role they—and all staff—play in student success, and we remain committed to working through the formal negotiation process to reach a fiscally responsible and sustainable agreement.
Public Notice from JSD and JEA - July 24, 2025
On July 24, 2025, at 8:27 AM the Juneau School District (JSD) and the Juneau Education Association (JEA) reached an impasse in the collective bargaining process.
Since February 2025, JSD and JEA have been meeting regularly to negotiate a successor agreement. One of the obstacles in the negotiations process has been the uncertainty around education funding from the State.
As the next step in the process, the parties have agreed to move forward with mediation and continue to be committed to reaching a successor agreement.
District Statement on JEA-JSD Negotiations - July 29, 2025
On July 24, 2025, the Juneau School District (JSD) and the Juneau Education Association (JEA) reached an impasse in the collective bargaining process.
One of the largest obstacles in the negotiations process has been the uncertainty around education funding from the state. This year alone, federal funding was frozen, state funding was vetoed, and local funding is threatened—with a potential $8 million dollar impact—by the state’s proposed regulation change to local contribution.
Details on the District’s and JEA’s last best offers are available by clicking on the Collective Bargaining block on the district homepage.
- Both JSD’s and JEA’s last best offers were for a one-year contract.
- The estimated cost of JEA’s last best offer was $1,841,239 for one year and included an average salary increase for every JEA member of 4.25%.
- The estimated cost of the District’s last best offer was $840,000 and included a salary increase for every JEA member. The average salary increase is 3.0% plus additional increases in step and lane salary movement. (In the 2024-25 school year, JEA members received a 3.25% salary increase.)
- The District’s last best offer also included a $10 increase to health care contribution per member. Educators have a choice among health insurance plans, including an employer-compensated plan that is free to the employee. JEA’s last best offer included a $50 increase to health care contribution per member.
As the next step in the process, the parties have agreed to move forward with mediation.
Members of the Board of Education remain committed to a fair and respectful bargaining process. We deeply value our teachers and the critical role they—and all staff—play in the success of our students. We remain committed to working through the formal negotiation process to reach a fiscally responsible and sustainable successor agreement.
This summary is intended to provide public transparency on the outcome of negotiations, in accordance with Alaska Statute 23.40.235. However, the upcoming mediation, and any future arbitration, or reopened negotiations will be kept confidential or non-public in accordance with the parties’ ground rules or rules for those proceedings.
JSD Initiates Arbitration in Negotiations with JEA
November 6, 2025 - Representatives from the Juneau School District (JSD) and Juneau Education Association (JEA) met on February 12, 2025, to begin negotiations on a new contract. The JEA bargaining unit is the district’s largest employee association, representing about 275 teachers and certified staff in the Juneau School District.
JEA is a local affiliate of National Education Association Alaska. The current agreement between JSD and JEA expired on June 30, 2025. However, teachers continue to work with a signed contract, and “dynamic status quo,” a specific term in labor relations, is in effect during negotiations on a successor agreement. All terms and conditions, rights and benefits negotiated by JEA under the previous contract remain in effect, identical to last year, but JEA members’ salaries have increased this year with an additional year experience or credit attainment, as applicable.
Both the District and JEA have negotiated exhaustively, both parties agreed they reached impasse, and both parties agreed to voluntary mediation. We have had 17 negotiations meetings and three mediation sessions (totaling over 94 hours) but have not overcome the impasse. The District team also proposed and offered additional meetings.
The District negotiations team, on behalf of the Board of Education, believes the time has come to schedule an advisory arbitration, as required by Alaska Statute 23.40.200(g).
Future mediation sessions have become difficult and uncertain to schedule because of the federal shutdown and funding uncertainty with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service. It is time, therefore, to proceed as required by law with an advisory arbitration hearing conducted under AS 23.40.200(g).
Members of the school board are committed to a fair and respectful bargaining process. We value our teachers and the vital role they—and all staff—play in student success, and we remain committed to working through the formal negotiation process to reach a fiscally responsible and sustainable agreement.
It is, of course, always preferable to reach a voluntary agreement. The District team remains committed to keeping communication open and remains willing to continue meeting in the hopes a successor agreement will soon be reached.