The Ridgefield Education Association and the Ridgefield School District were not able to reach a tentative deal on a new contract following Sunday afternoon’s bargaining session. Ridgefield schools will again be closed on Monday while teachers remain on strike.
The two sides will meet for their next bargaining session between noon and 7 p.m. Monday. The district did not publicize an updated packaged contract proposal after Sunday’s meeting.
Mirroring Friday’s procedures, school buildings and offices will be closed and meal services will be suspended on Monday as the strike continues. Middle and high school athletics, however, will continue as scheduled. Students who attend Cascadia Tech Academy will attend their classes as scheduled, and will be able to take the bus to and from school at their usual location.
The union — which represents an estimated 200 certificated staff members in the district, namely classroom teachers — has been negotiating with the district throughout the summer. Union members have been working without a contract since Sept. 1 — the second day of the school year.
The strike is the first in Ridgefield schools since a county-wide strike closed schools for three days in 2018. They are one of a handful of teachers unions on strike in Washington, including Seattle — the biggest district in the state — Kent, Eatonville and more.
