Paraeducators get a raise with new contract at North Thurston Public Schools
The North Thurston Public Schools board on Tuesday approved a three-year contract for paraeducators who help support teachers in the classroom and supervise students on the playground.
The district, the largest in the county, has 570 paraeducators. Over the next three years, they will receive a roughly 12% increase in pay with opportunities to earn more if they pursue additional training, according to district information.
Completion of a Fundamental Course of Study will result in 25 cents more per hour, while completion of a General Paraprofessional Certificate will boost pay 60 cents per hour, the district information shows.
A beginning paraeducator with no additional certifications or degrees earned $22.32 per hour for the 2023-24 school year, district data show. With those additional qualifications, starting pay began at $26.02 per hour.
The district and the North Thurston Paraeducator Association, the union that represents them, negotiated for about a year before members ratified the proposed deal on Dec. 18.
“There were some tears along the way,” said Renee Harrington, a paraeducator and vice president of the association. “But all in all, I think we came out with a very equitable contract to bring paraeducators closer to other bargaining units within the district.”
Seventy-six of 100 paraeducators voted to approve the deal, Harrington said. Turnout was low because the vote took place near the holidays. About 350-400 paraeducators are members of the union, she said.
School board member Sarah Tracy expressed support for the paraeducators but also wanted to make sure the increases are financially sustainable for the district
Derrick Pete, executive director of North Thurston’s human resources department, estimates the district will spend about $3 million over the three-year period. That does not include incentive pay.
Of the 570 paraeducators, about 70 are eligible for the Fundamental Course of Study pay, Pete said.
“We do believe we have bargained a financially sustainable package,” Pete told the board.
Harrington, who earned a degree in early childhood education, has worked as a paraeducator for four years. She’s currently at Horizons Elementary and works in what the district calls a future ready kindergarten class.
“I absolutely love it,” she said.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
