Battle Ground, Wash. teachers latest to reach contract deal

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) – School will begin Monday for thousands of students in the southwest Washington city of Battle Ground after teachers ratified an agreement to end a strike.

Members of the Battle Ground Education Association on Sunday approved an agreement that was reached with the district over the weekend.

Teachers had been on strike since late August. Tensions mounted Friday when Clark County Superior Court judge signed an injunction ordering teachers back to work.

Battle Ground Public Schools serves about 13,000 students.

Bargaining units at most of the state’s 295 school systems sought to renegotiate salaries this year after the state Legislature approved $1 billion for teacher pay to resolve a long-running court battle that determined the state was inadequately funding public education.

Teachers in several communities including Tacoma and Vancouver went on strike over those salary negotiations.

Teachers in Tumwater, south of Olympia, remain on strike.