The Minneapolis school board has approved a new two-year contract with its teachers and restarted its search for a superintendent.
The contract approved Tuesday night gives teachers a pay raise of 2.5 percent retroactive to Jan. 1 and another 1.5 percent on July 1. The district also committed to maintain class sizes of 18 to 24 students at low-performing schools, increase classroom preparation time for teachers and reduce the number of student assessments.
More than 87 percent of teachers voted for the contract, according to interim superintendent Michael Goar.
The deal will cost the district about $7 million. St. Paul's tentative agreement with its teachers will cost about $25 million.
"I extend my congratulations to everyone for coming to an agreement. This is an exciting day," said board chairwoman Jenny Arneson.
Search firm hired
The district also hired DHR International, a Chicago-based executive search firm, to help find the district's next superintendent. The firm will play a big role in recruiting potential candidates, a departure from the board's initial commitment to limiting the scope of a search firm's work.
Last month, the board voted to hire a search firm that would mostly serve as a clearing house, processing applications and serving as a point of contact for applicants. The board wanted to rely less on an external firm after its search with Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) did not result in the hiring of a superintendent. The board initially chose Sergio Paez of Massachusetts, but rescinded its offer after complaints about a school in his previous district came to light.
However, when the district began interviewing firms, only one firm agreed to serving in a limited capacity.
