Denver Public Schools deans have not been unionized for roughly six years. A vote by the Denver School Leaders Association is about to change that.

Moira Coogan, the association’s president, said Tuesday that members had approved an amendment to the organization’s contract to include about 95 deans and had notified officials with Denver Public Schools.

“Our Deans are critical members of our school leadership teams,” Coogan said in a statement to The Denver Gazette. “We are excited that their rights have been recognized.”

Coogan described the contract amendments as “a good start in addressing important issues,” including a minimum 8% raise for deans.

The amended contract now must be approved by the Board of Education.

The association represents school administrators such as principals and assistant principals.

There had been more than 120 deans serving across the school district.

District officials, however, reorganized the position, with roughly 17 former deans now reclassified as “Managers of Operations,” said Scott Pribble, a district spokesperson.

The district now has a total of 104 deans – 81 for culture and 23 of Instruction – with just three open dean positions, Pribble said.

The average dean salary is roughly $65,800.

District officials, however, have said the dean-organizing effort was not in response to the East High School shooting in March that wounded two deans.

Bill Good, a district spokesperson, described the reorganization as “an ongoing effort for several years.”

Union proponents said representation give employees the ability to speak up without fear of retaliation.

Deans had been a part of the bargaining unit until 2017 when former Denver Superintendent Tom Boasberg reclassified the job, according to the Denver Classroom Teachers Association – which represents nearly 4,000 educators.

With a stroke of a pen, more than 100 dean positions were removed from the bargaining table, Rob Gould, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, has said.

Deans serve in administrative roles that support instruction, operations and school culture.