After dropping off his daughter, Abigail, for her first day of third grade at Riverview Elementary School on Friday, Kyle Green raised his arms to the sky in triumph.

“We’re going to go get breakfast, maybe an afternoon mimosa,” he said, nodding in the direction of his partner, Tanya Tereszczenko. “I don’t know, it’s crazy! First day of school — woo-hoo! Let’s go!”

Parents, students and school staff celebrated the beginning of the 2025-26 school year for Evergreen Public Schools one day after the Evergreen Chapter of Public School Employees of Washington SEIU Local 1948 ratified a new contract with the district to end a 12-day strike.

“There’s always some healing that happens, getting on the same page, but I’m really confident that our staff has the ability to do that and will do that

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