St. Paul Public Schools and the district’s teachers union say they have reached a deal that will prevent a strike on March 11.

After months of negotiations and a marathon of closed-door mediation sessions over the weekend, the sides on Tuesday said they reached a tentative contract agreement that will prevent a walk-out.

“We are incredibly grateful to our district bargaining team as well as the Saint Paul Federation of Educators for working tirelessly throughout the weekend to settle this contract,” the St. Paul School Board said in a statement.

Contract details will not be available until the school district and the St. Paul Federation of Educators approve the agreement. SPFE’s membership will hold a vote to approve the agreement at a later date, the union said.

The sides planned to share more details at a joint news conference at 4 p.m.

“Our union is glad to have had the chance to collaborate with our school board members and settle a fair contract that supports our students and respects and honors the professionalism of our educators,” said SPFE President Leah VanDassor.

The 3,700 teachers and non-licensed staff represented by the union overwhelmingly voted to approve a strike last month, and last week filed their official intention to do so. That triggered a state-mandated cool-off period where the sides could continue negotiating to avoid a strike.

Teachers and the district had expressed optimism about the negotiations, but debates over pay and insurance remained sticking points.

This is the fourth consecutive two-year bargaining cycle in a row where St. Paul teachers have threatened to strike. The union went on strike for four days in 2020 and almost went on strike in 2018 and 2022.

During negotiations, the district said it was in a tough spot because of an expected $107.7 million budget shortfall driven by factors including declining enrollment, the expiration of federal pandemic aid and growing operational expenses.

Earlier in the process, district officials estimated union requests could top $112 million, and the district said it was willing to allocate only $12.4 million in additional funding. The sides requested a mediator in December, and talks have been behind closed doors since January.

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