SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A one-day teachers strike that was set to occur at the end of this month was called off after the San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego Education Association reached “a mutual agreement on how to proceed with a contract.”
In a press release issued Friday, San Diego Unified officials stated, “On February 12, 2026, the two sides came to agreements on several bargained subjects including special education and wages. SDEA will take the agreement to its membership for a ratification vote.”
Under the deal, the one-day strike initially slated for Thursday, Feb. 26, was withdrawn and all district schools will be open that day.
March 9, a previously announced make-up date, will return to being “being a non-instructional day with schools closed districtwide.”
San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula said, “We are pleased to have reached an agreement and prevented a strike. These negotiations, while at times tense, yielded an outcome that will stabilize our educator workforce and ensure all students are supported in the classroom. We appreciate the patience and flexibility our families have shown throughout this process.”
Before winter break, SDEA members voted to go on a one-day strike. The union had filed claims against some of SDUSD's practices but were able to reach agreement.
"We came to agreement on contract language in Article 29 that will provide more enforceable caseload caps, where educators will automatically be paid a monthly stipend whenever they are over contractual limits rather than waiting months and sometimes years for relief," an SDEA newsletter read. "This compensates educators for their time, but even more significantly, it financially incentivizes the District to actually fix staffing issues and provide the support that students and educators need."
Special education employees also received consideration in the agreed-upon contract, including $4,000 annual stipends for moderate to severe SpEd teachers in hard-to-fill positions, a pathway to free credentials and caseload management days to catch up on assessments, IEP meetings, paperwork, and family communications.
Other items include wage increases when the district receives the currently withheld Proposition 98 funding (a 1988 law which guarantees minimum levels of funding for schools in California), maintaining full health and welfare benefits for employee, spouse, and dependents, minimizing classroom schedule changes at the beginning of the school year and adopting various strategies to maintain current employment levels and recruit new employees.
"In the past, when SDEA members have won raises or other items with big price tags, the district has often paid those prices in layoff notices," the union newsletter read. "It is a big deal that we've won a promise of no layoffs along with improved special education supports, a raise over [cost of living adjustment], and more.
"This isn't happening in a vacuum -- as a wave of educator strikes spread across California, the things we win build a foundation for our fellow educators to build from."
City News Service contributed to this report.
