Steamboat Springs School District Administration and SSEA Reach Tentative Agreement in Staff Compensation

Steamboat Springs (May 26, 2026) - The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) and the Steamboat Springs Education Association (SSEA) have reached a tentative agreement on compensation and negotiated policy updates for the 2026-2027 school year following the completion of the bargaining process.

Under the agreement, licensed staff will receive step and lane movement, and maximum placement of new staff for all lanes increases to Step 10.

For returning classified staff, the agreement includes a 2.6% hourly wage increase, and new hire placement increases to 10 years maximum.

Specialized service providers, including occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and school psychologists, will receive step and lane movement, and maximum placement of new staff for all lanes increases to Step 10.

The agreement also includes a $3,500 annual stipend for the Autism Program teacher.

District contributions toward employee health insurance premiums will increase to $1,210 monthly per employee and $2,420 monthly for two-employee families. 

In addition to compensation updates, the district and SSEA finalized several negotiated policy revisions focused on recruitment, retention, employee support, and alignment with current district practices and state law.

• NP-2: Clarified bargaining procedures, timelines, proposal expectations, and processes related to negotiated policy updates and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs).
• NP-6 and NP-39: Increased the maximum years of credited prior experience for eligible employees from nine to ten years to support recruitment and retention efforts.
• NP-7: Updated to clarify how licensed staff can earn salary credit for non-college experiences, including CTE and industry-related training, while streamlining the approval process.
• NP-10: Increased compensation for licensed staff performing curriculum and instruction work outside of contract hours from $40 to $50 per hour. 
• NP-11: Updated to revise the Extra-Duty Pay Plan, including updates to coaching and sponsor compensation schedules, postseason pay, meal reimbursement procedures, mentor stipends, staffing guidelines, and recognition of prior coaching and sponsor experience. 
• NP-32: Updated reduction in licensed work force language to align with current district practices and Colorado law.
• NP-X: Established and clarified district procedures related to teacher displacement, priority hiring pools, mutual consent placement, limited-term assignments, and involuntary unpaid leave processes in alignment with Colorado law and district hiring practices
• NP-Y: Established a policy to protect planning time for licensed staff on work days. 

“While this was a challenging budget year for school districts across Colorado, I appreciate the collaborative work of both the district and SSEA bargaining teams to reach an agreement that continues to support and invest in our staff,” said Dr. Celine Wicks, Superintendent. “We remain committed to balancing fiscal responsibility with our ongoing efforts to recruit, retain, and support high-quality educators and staff for our students and schools.” 

The agreement remains subject to final approval by the Steamboat Springs School District Board of Education and ratification by licensed and classified staff, excluding administration.