Lynden School Board set to vote on new educator contract

Lynden School Board members will vote Thursday on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Lynden Education Association. The contract covers the period from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2029. This vote concludes months of negotiations that ended shortly before a possible LEA strike was scheduled to begin.

The proposed contract is listed in the board’s Nov. 12 agenda packet. It outlines terms for compensation, benefits, and planning time. The document also addresses autonomy, working conditions, and management rights. Specific sections cover special education, specialized staff, student discipline, and the assignment of vacancies and promotions.

The agreement notes that the district and the union resolved 31 specific issues during the current bargaining cycle. The LEA represents more than 225 professional educators and certificated specialists in the district. This group includes school counselors, librarians, nurses, therapists, psychologists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, and social workers. Substitute and conditional Educational Staff Associates are also covered by the contract.

In other district news, school psychologist Gabby Roberts received the 2026 Outstanding Advocate Award from the Washington State Association of School Psychologists. The association recognized Roberts for her legislative advocacy and leadership. The district noted her commitment to supporting students and school psychologists across Washington, with a focus on rural and underserved communities.

The Lynden High School FFA Marketing Team also placed ninth in the nation at the recent National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. The team, advised by John Grubbs and Julie Milstead, included students Maddie DeLange, Regan Milstead, and Aubrey Basart. They presented a marketing portfolio to a panel of judges for 15 minutes. The students are scheduled to present their work to the Lynden School Board during Thursday’s meeting.

The board is also expected to conduct various policy readings and hear two finance reports during the session. These items appear on the same agenda as the educator agreement vote.