📢 Cougar Connection: Potential Strike Update — September 1

As of 9:26 a.m. Tuesday: The latest confirmed report says SPS and SEA had not reached an agreement as of 1:00 a.m. The reported contract deadline is 11:59 p.m. tonight. Local reporting described negotiations as unresolved less than 24 hours before school was scheduled to begin.

SEA members voted 91% to authorize a strike, but SEA says that does not make a strike definite. SEA says its team will call a strike if an agreement addressing its stated priorities is not reached before students return. The latest updates do not specify whether bargaining is active or paused this morning.

Collective bargaining happens locally, but Washington determines much of the funding that supports public schools. Inadequate state funding narrows district choices and leaves bargaining parties competing over scarce resources. That structural problem does not settle any individual proposal, but it shapes the choices facing SPS, educators, and families.

OSPI’s 2026 End of Session Summary covers new education laws, operating- and capital-budget items, and district requirements taking effect this school year or next. Families can also contact our 37th Legislative District lawmakers and press them for full, sustainable school funding.

SPS says its August 28 proposal includes salary increases of 2.6%, 3.6%, and 2.6% over three years—nearly 9%—plus average annual step increases of about 4% for eligible employees. SPS also proposes employee VEBA accounts, with district contributions beginning at $10 per month in 2027–28 and rising to $15 in 2028–29.

For Special Education, SPS says its plan would improve ratios for almost 70% of students with IEPs, establish base staffing at every school, and add behavior-support and psychologist positions. Community advocates describe a competing redesign that would combine four pathways into two, including Resource and Extended Resource. They caution that the full proposal and analysis have not been published and suggest the joint SEA–SPS taskforce as a possible review venue, followed by published analysis and a public board vote.

SEA’s proposals seek enforceable class-size caps that would require added staff or reduced enrollment when classes exceed the cap. SEA also seeks reasonable specialist caseloads and overage-pay incentives for psychologists, nurses, therapists, counselors, social workers, and other specialists.

For Special Education, SEA seeks co-teaching with collaboration time, plans to cover vacancies and leaves with endorsed teachers, and schedules that prioritize daily contact between secondary students and their Special Education teachers. SEA also seeks competitive wages, larger percentage raises for paraprofessionals and office professionals, a VEBA health benefit, position-specific training plans, two training days for new hires, and two additional paraprofessional workdays for training and collaboration.

Strike-specific child-care details for 2026 have not been confirmed or published. For help searching, contact the Child Care Aware of Washington Family Center at 1-800-446-1114 or familycenter@childcare.org. Referrals do not guarantee a slot.

Seattle’s Child Care Assistance Program serves eligible Seattle families with children ages 1 month through 12 and estimates two to three weeks for processing. Applicants need a tentatively secured participating provider with space; applying does not guarantee eligibility or a subsidy. Know a confirmed option? Email the Cougar Connection reply address with the provider, dates and hours, ages, cost, and registration link so the PTSA can verify it before sharing.

SPS and City of Seattle pages have not confirmed or published strike-specific child care details for this update.

Email us your child care information so we can verify it before sharing.

Historical context: During the 2022 Seattle teachers strike, the City announced eight free Recreation Activity Hubs for kindergarten through sixth-grade students. The hubs operated from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. beginning September 12.

Families already participating in the City’s Child Care Assistance Program with a before- or after-school provider were offered automatic additional subsidies for full-day care when their provider had space. The City also distributed free student meals at 50 locations from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The immediate milestone is the reported 11:59 p.m. Tuesday contract deadline. SEA says its bargaining team remains ready to negotiate and intends to avoid a strike, but will call one if the required agreement is not reached before students return. SPS has announced daily bargaining press conferences.

Please watch official SPS and SEA updates today, along with direct school communications about the first day, transportation, meals, and other family logistics. If a strike begins, Cougar Connection aims to share an update each day during the strike. Thank you for looking out for one another and sharing only confirmed information.

WhatsApp class groups are optional, but they are one of the easiest ways Kimball families stay in sync. People use them to pass along schedule notes, carpool questions, and encouragement during busy weeks.

New to your class group? Open the join page below and pick your teacher. Please keep the conversation respectful, protect student privacy, and keep invite links inside your class so the group stays a trusted space.