CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Following nine months of negotiations, Albemarle County Public Schools and the Albemarle Education Association – the union representing teachers and other school staff – have reached a tentative deal for a collective bargaining agreement, the two parties jointly announced Thursday.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the school board and union members. If its ratified by both sides, it would run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.

“AEA is proud of the work we have done with ACPS to get us to this historic point—the first collectively bargained contract in ACPS history,” AEA president Mary McIntyre said in a statement. “Our efforts will help to provide safe working conditions and improve the economic sustainability of our workforce for years to come. We know that when we have strong staff, we have strong schools.”

According to the release, “the tentative agreement contains provisions related to paid parental leave for employees, expanded planning time for elementary teachers, a paid bereavement leave category, a partial payout of accrued, unused sick leave, and guaranteed annual salary increases. The provisions reflect priorities brought forward by the AEA bargaining team, derived from information gathered from the bargaining unit members.”

“We are committed to supporting a thriving workforce and ensuring that employees have what they need to do their best work,” said Dr. Matthew Haas, ACPS Superintendent, in the statement. “This tentative agreement reflects the priorities of our employees and the thoughtful work of our Human Resources team, reinforcing our shared commitment to excellence for both staff and students.”

This will be Albemarle’s first CBA for educators. The AEA won an election in September 2024 to become the exclusive bargaining arm for all licensed employees and education support professionals in the school system.

“We had a wonderful team of licensed staff and ESPs that put in countless hours away from the bargaining table,” said AEA chief negotiator Tim Klobuchar, an English teacher at Monticello High School, in the release. “They helped put together and negotiate a comprehensive set of contract proposals to make ACPS an even better place for employees to work, which means an even better place for students to learn.”