Tentative agreement reached in Moses Lake school strike

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District personnel will return to the classroom Monday following the negotiation of a tentative agreement between the district and the Moses Lake Education Association that ends a week-long strike. In a statement signed jointly by the MLEA and MLSD, both sides said they were satisfied with the outcome.

“This agreement meets the district’s financial requirements and the association’s expectations,” the statement said. “Details of the agreement are pending a general membership meeting and ratification.” 

It was jointly signed by Heather Whittall, MLEA president; MLSD Superintendent Carol Lewis; Danielle Johnson of the MLEA; and Scott West, MLSD executive director of safety and well-being. 

An agreement was reached late Friday night and announced in statements that went out at about 10:45 p.m. Friday. Contract details were not released. Teachers went on strike Dec. 1. 

The two sides have been in negotiations since June, Whittall said in an earlier statement. The negotiations followed the end of a one-year agreement between the MLEA and MLSD reached in the wake of the rejection of the district’s educational programs and operations levy and the simultaneous discovery of accounting errors that depleted the district’s reserves.  

While students are headed back to class, there’s still one more step in the process. 

“The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by the membership of the Association and approval by the Moses Lake School Board before becoming final,” according to a MLSD statement issued Saturday morning. 

Neither a press release issued by the MLEA on Friday nor the joint statement gave a timeline for the ratification votes.  

District officials said Dec. 2 that any school days lost to the strike would be made up at the end of the school year. The last day of school was scheduled for June 6, 2026.  

“Moses Lake EA members are happy to be heading back to their classrooms and work sites and to be reunited with their students instead of walking a picket line,” said the MLEA press release.  

Both sides expressed appreciation to Moses Lake parents, students and district patrons. 

“The Moses Lake School District appreciates the patience and understanding shown by families, staff, and the community during this process and looks forward to welcoming students and employees back to classrooms,” the MLSD statement said.  

“It was a long and stressful week for our members and for the Moses Lake community. We appreciate everyone’s fortitude and patience as our bargaining teams worked to get a tentative agreement,” Whittall said in the press release.  She also expressed appreciation to the community for the support teachers received during the strike. 

“It feels good to be able to bring everyone back together on Monday,” she said.  

Negotiations stalled over issues of salary, prep time, compensation for additional meetings teachers are required to attend and teacher training. The two sides brought in a mediator in November. The MLEA announced Nov. 26 that they would strike if an agreement wasn’t reached by Nov. 30 and walked off the job the next day. 

District officials presented a “supposal” to the MLEA on Thursday, and negotiations resumed Friday afternoon. Ryan Shannon, MLSD public relations, said a supposal is a way to explore possible solutions rather than a contract proposal.  

“It’s basically to explore and to clarify direction,” Shannon said. “It’s a good faith concept for discussion.” 

    Moses Lake teachers walk the picket line outside Vanguard Academy Dec. 1. The Moses Lake Education Association reached a tentative agreement with the Moses Lake School District Friday.