The Tahoma School Board voted 5-0 to approve a three-year contract with the Tahoma Education Association (TEA) during a special board meeting Aug. 30.

In the contract, it states the teachers in the school district will receive a 14.5 percent salary increase.

According to TEA president, David Aaby, 98 percent of the TEA members agreed to ratify this increase Aug. 29.

Kevin Patterson, director of communications at the Tahoma School District, said the board had its mind made up about this contract already.

“It was not a long discussion. It was about a 15 minute meeting because the board had already reviewed in an executive session last week, the tentative (agreement), so they were familiar with what was being proposed,” Patterson said. “Most of their conversation had already taken place.”

He said some board members expressed their feelings during the meeting by saying they were “very pleased and happy that (they) could get it (the contract) done.”

Patterson said he thinks the teaching staff is happy with the contract, based on conversations he has had with staff members.

He also said he thinks this salary increase will provide a competitive enough salary to award teachers who are in the district now, and will be competitive enough to recruit more teachers when needed.

“It’s been a good process and it’s something that’s been the case in Tahoma for a long time — we have a good collaborative relationship with all of our employees — we’re able to sit down and discuss things in a calm, productive way and certainly in this case I think everyone wins on this,” Patterson said.

The contract will take place starting in September 2018 and will end in August 2021.

The first day of school is set for Tuesday, Sept. 4.