The Renton School District and Renton coaches union have come to a tentative agreement, cancelling the planned strike on Aug. 18 by coaches across the city.
The agreement was made during the late hours of Aug. 15, and the coaches see this as a step in the right direction. Fall sports begin on Aug. 25, with football beginning on Aug. 20, and a work stoppage would have had a massive impact on the schedule.
Because of the agreement with the Renton School District, that will not happen for now. It has been over a two year process for union leaders like Hazen High School coach Buddy Ryan. But with this current development, the coaches are ever closer to a compensation that they see fit.
The details are unclear, but for the time being, Renton high school sports will have their coaches on day one.
A press release stated the following: “The coaches of Renton School District, organized with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have reached a Tentative Agreement with Renton School District. Renton Coaches have bargained for months to reach an agreement that includes fair pay increases, consistent working conditions and a contract that helps to retain coaches. The Renton Coaches will meet with their co-workers and vote on the Tentative Agreement, which is recommended by the bargaining team.”
A vote is going to be staged in the near future for the coaches to decide on their contract before the calendar flips to September. But as of now, fall sports will continue as planned.
As previously reported by the Renton Reporter, coaches in Renton are paid less than other neighboring districts. The lack of pay results in a turnover rate of 45% from year to year.
The average stipend for a head coach in their first two years in the Renton School District is $5,269.88 — across all sports. As an assistant, that number is $4,440.60 across every sport in the district’s athletic salary schedule.
Kent School District head coaches on average over the same time span make $5,536.25. It’s a difference of $266.37 between the two districts that neighbor each other. A stark difference between the two districts when comparing compensation is how they deal with tenure. A soccer coach in their tenth year in Renton would make around $6,127.20, in Kent that number for the same position at ten years is $7,293 a difference of $1,165.80.
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