BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A settlement has been reached between the Bellevue School District and the Bellevue Education Association, and classes will resume on Monday, the district said.

A 95-percent vote by the 1,200 members of the teachers' union ratified the contract on Sunday night.

Under the new contract, teachers will receive a 5-percent pay raise over the next three years. Teachers will also have the freedom to stray from the established curriculum in order to meet the needs of all students. (Read the Curriculum Memorandum of Understanding)

Teachers' health care benefits will not change under the new contract. However, the district agreed to contribute $37,000 to the teachers' benefit pool to help offset employee out-of-pocket costs for the next three years.

The two sides reached a tentative agreement on Friday, one day after the district sweetened its offer.

The district's final offer was in direct response to the issues raised at Wednesday's public hearing at which parents and other interested parties voiced concerns about the school board's potential legal actions against the union, the district said.

The school board had considered seeking a court injunction after the two sides appeared to have reached an impasse over two points of contention -- compensation and teachers' freedom to stray from the established curriculum.

After the public forum the school board decided not to seek an injunction to force strike striking teachers back to work, fearing it would create too much tension within the school district.

By deciding against legal action, the school board effectively removed itself from the negotiation process, leaving the teachers' union and the school district to reach an agreement on their own.

The BEA went on strike on Sept. 1, the day before classes were scheduled to resume.

More than 16,000 students will begin their delayed school year on Sept. 15.