After negotiating since April over a long list of items, the Bellevue Education Association and the Bellevue School District have reached a tentative agreement.

The 1,100 members are to meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Odle Middle School to vote on the offer. If it's accepted, classes will begin as scheduled Sept. 6.

Negotiations between the two sides were going nowhere until the parties asked a mediator from the Public Employment Relations Commission to work with them. The mediator started in August.

Neither side would release details of the proposed agreement but among the last issues to be resolved concerned teacher evaluations and the time teachers needed before being required to post grades on the school website.

Bellevue, like many districts, is grappling with the need to cut spending after the state Legislature reduced funding by more than $1 billion and recommended teachers take a 1.9 percent pay cut. Many districts adopted other ways of cutting back than by making salary reductions.

What steps Bellevue will take won't be made public until after Wednesday's vote.

"It's good to be done with it and we're looking at getting ready for the school year," Bellevue Education Association President Michele Miller said.

In a prepared statement, Superintendent Amalia Cudeiro said, "Our goal was to reach a contract that was beneficial for students and honors teachers and we feel this agreement does that."

Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com