Wichita teachers have approved a new contract for the 2026-2027 school year.
United Teachers of Wichita said Monday that teachers voted to accept the proposed contract, which was announced by the union and the Wichita school district in August.
Nearly 56% of the district’s 3,905 teachers voted to accept the contract. That represents about 86% of those who cast a ballot.
The deal includes a 1.5% raise across the board, with additional pay for teachers who cannot progress further on the district’s pay scale. Teachers also will not see their healthcare costs increase under the contract.
Teachers began voting on the contract on Thursday, more than three weeks after it was announced. The union said it had been waiting on district lawyers to finalize language in the deal.
The contract is the result of federal mediation, after the district and union declared an impasse in their negotiations.
The contract will combine personal and family medical leave, giving teachers more flexibility to take time off based on their situation.
The union said teachers had hoped to see the district offer more individual planning time, which has been a central request for several years.
Many teachers take work like grading and lesson plans home, working outside of their contract hours.
In protest, the union conduced a demonstration at Monday's Wichita school board meeting. It urged teachers to bring work they usually do at home to complete during the meeting.
The contract now awaits approval from the Wichita board.
