Geneva teachers ratify contract

The Geneva Education Association members ratified a new three-year contract Wednesday afternoon.

While union President Carol Young would not say how many voted in favor, she said the tally exceeded the two-thirds majority required to pass. There are 388 union members. The contract would cover 422 teachers, librarians, social workers and psychologists.

“We are thankful to our supporters in the community and are happy to be in our classrooms serving the students of Geneva,” Young said in a prepared statement.

“I’m very pleased,” added school board President Mark Grosso.

The school board has yet to schedule a vote on the contract, but it likely will not happen until next week, Grosso said, because several board members are attending a school board association conference Friday through Sunday.

Details of the contract’s terms won’t be released until after that vote.

Contract negotiations started in February; an impasse was declared in October, and the union later announced it intended to strike starting Nov. 12. The tentative agreement was reached around 12:30 a.m. Monday.