A four-year contract calling for a 12% hourly wage increase in the first year has been approved by the District U-46 School Board and the District U-46 Educational Assistants union, which represents paraeducators.

The agreement calls for a per-hour increase of $2.25 in the 2025-26 school year, $2.25 per hour in the 2026-27 school year, $1.25 per hour in 2027-28 and $1 per hour in 2028-29, a district news release said.

With the increases, the hourly wage for paraeducators will range from $20.23 an hour to $29.58 an hour in the 2025-26 school year, depending on experience and job classification. By the 2028-29 school year, the hourly wage will range from $24.73 an hour to $34.08 an hour, the release said.

“This is a collaborative agreement that recognizes the important role our paraeducat

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