Battle Ground High School
Paul Suarez / The Columbian
After more than 12 hours of mediation Wednesday, the Battle Ground School District in southern Washington and the teacher’s union have reached a tentative two-year contract agreement.
The previous contract expired Aug. 31. The teachers union and the district have been negotiating for months.
“It is a big deal," said Linda Peterson, president of the Battle Ground Education Association. “It is not everything that we wanted, but the district moved forward, which is ultimately what we were hoping.”
Peterson declined to discuss specifics about the contract.
Union members are scheduled to vote on the proposed contract at a meeting Monday.
"This has been a long and trying process for everyone,” wrote Mark Hottowe, Battle Ground’s superintendent, in an email Thursday to administrators. "We are all pleased to be able to now focus more on the work that matters most — taking care of our students."
