No school for Kent students Friday as teachers continue strike

KENT, Wash. — The Kent School District confirmed Thursday that there would be no school on Friday as teachers will enter their seventh day of a strike.

It comes after a resolution to file an injunction against striking teachers in the district failed.

The Kent Education Association and the district still have not come to a contract agreement and nearly 25,000 students have yet to return to class.

The school board called an emergency meeting on Monday, Aug. 29 to vote on a resolution against the Kent Education Association. The measure failed in a 2-2 vote.

“I feel like filing an injunction is a way is an intimidation process to scare,” Joseph Bento, the vice president of the board, said in the meeting. Parents and teachers said they were relieved and surprised that the measure did not pass.

“Pleasantly surprised I think that was just a lot of emotion and I don’t know if I had expected what was going to happen but we’re glad that the resolution failed,” Shujri Olow, a parent in KSD, said.

Although the measure failed, the strike will continue until the two parties can reach an agreement.

The district said union members “orchestrated an unlawful strike” and are therefore in breach of contract.

The district publicly shared its latest salary proposal on Saturday, which offered teachers a 6.3% wage increase for the 2022-2023 school year, cost of living adjustments for the following two school years and $2,500 in stipends distributed over the next two years.

Under this proposed salary schedule, 75% of KEA members would make at least $77,220 during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the district.

©2022 Cox Media Group