Soon after voters in the Tripp-Delmont School District approved a four hundred thousand dollar opt out, the district reached a tentative contract agreement with their teachers.

Superintendent Gail Swenson says even with the opt out dollars, they can’t offer competitive salaries…..

Swenson says despite the money, they have a dedicated staff….

Swenson says they tried to build in some flexibility in the work agreement….
The average teacher pay in Tripp-Delmont is under forty thousand dollars.

The bill passed last year in the legislature raised the state sales tax a half cent to increase teacher pay to an average of forty-eight thousand dollars. But districts like Tripp-Delmont have falling enrollment, and didn’t see the same increase in state aid.