West Contra Costa Unified teachers ratify 21-22 contract

West Contra Costa Unified’s teachers union, the United Teachers of Richmond, voted to ratify a tentative contract agreement with the district calling for smaller class sizes and more counselors.

About 95%, of the teachers who voted were in favor of the contract, union officials announced Monday. West Contra Costa Unified’s school board must vote to approve the contract and could do so as early as Wednesday’s school board meeting.

The agreement calls for an average class size for grades TK-3 of 22 students, with a maximum of 23 students. It also mandates an average of 30 students (with a 31 student maximum) for grades 4-8 in elementary schools and also in K-8 schools. Math, English, English language development, social sciences and science classes at middle and high schools will have a maximum of 36 students, with a maximum of 52 students for physical education and 37 for other classes.

The new class-size requirements will result in more than 120 more teachers in classrooms next school year, district officials said Monday.

The contract would allow teachers to volunteer to accept students over their maximum in exchange for a salary increase of 3.5%.

The contract also calls for the hiring of 12 new academic counselors, resulting in a 338:1 student-to-counselor ratio for K-8 and middle schools and a 350:1 student-to-counselor ratio for high schools — down from 700:1. Each comprehensive high school will also have at least one college and career counselor.