Less than two weeks after students returned to school, Prince George’s County Public Schools teachers finalized an agreement with the county for a new, three-year contract.

The county Board of Education approved the contract at a special meeting on Friday. It follows the terms tentatively agreed to by the school system and Prince George’s County Educators’ Association earlier this summer.

Some of the new fiscal year 2026-28 contract changes include:

  • Scheduled pay increases and cost-of-living-adjustments each year of the contract’s duration.
  • Raising starting teacher salaries above Maryland’s $60,000 minimum one year ahead of the state deadline.
  • Increasing reimbursements for classroom supplies and pay for covering substitute vacancies.
  • Building in more time and flexibility for training and professional development.
  • Streamlining administrative tasks to improve schools’ climates by improving safety and efficiency.

During the brief 20-minute special meeting Friday, several county officials struck a hopeful tone for the future partnership between teachers and county leadership.

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Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay was among the voices calling on the school board to give educators a fair contract earlier this year. The District 6 representative said the Friday school board meeting was her first invite since she joined the county council.

But as she addressed local officials and education advocates at the special meeting, she said the unity in the room spoke volumes.

“I remember when this was beginning, and it was full frustration,” Blegay said. “To see the unity in the room now, the change of leadership and how that quickly changed the trajectory and brought everybody together, I’m excited for the future.”

At-large council member Calvin Hawkins II described Friday’s meeting as a “very important moment to give educators the recognition, from a financial perspective, that they so deserve.”

Donna Christy, the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association president, told ABC7 News last week that the contract was overwhelmingly approved by the union’s roughly 10,000 members with more than 96 percent of the vote.

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For Christy, the new contract represents a “meaningful step forward” for county educators and the students they serve.

“Our members have been clear about the challenges they face every day, and this contract begins to address those realities with concrete improvements,”  Christy wrote in a statement after the union tentatively agreed to the new terms in July.

The agreement came after a turbulent summer for the county’s school system.

After the educators’ association issued a vote of no confidence in former PGCPS superintendent Millard House II in June, the school board and House reached an agreement for him to step down from the position effective June 18.

County Executive Aisha Braveboy tapped Shawn Joseph, a Howard University professor and former PGCPS deputy superintendent, to serve as the interim superintendent.

In a statement Thursday, Joseph said the contract is the start of a stronger partnership with the teachers’ union.

“We’ve committed to meeting regularly to work collaboratively on the issues that matter most to our educators and students,” Joseph said. “By raising starting teacher salaries above Maryland’s $60,000 minimum one year ahead of the state mandate, we’re signaling that Prince George’s County is serious about attracting and retaining the best talent for our classrooms.”