The Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees approved a 3.5 percent pay increase and a new contract for members of the district's teachers union at its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Trustees voted 5-0 to approve salary increases for members of the Sequoia District Teachers Association, which represents district teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses and others. They also approved a new two-year contract with the association.

"We are excited about the agreement," Superintendent Mary Streshly wrote in an email. "We absolutely value our teachers and their contributions to the district is one of the main reasons we are known for providing our students with a quality education. I look forward to spending more time in the classrooms and watching our teachers do what they do best."

The pay increase will be retroactive to July 1, 2018, according to the agreement summary. The contract runs from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020. The union's previous contract ran from July 2016 through June 2018.

The new contract maintains benefits from the previous agreement -- full coverage for individuals, couples or families up to the cost of the highest HMO premium offered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS). CalPERS manages pension and health benefits for California public employees, retirees and their families.

This is the second year in a row union members have received a raise. The board granted the union a 4 percent raise in May 2017 for the 2017-18 school year.

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