Lawrence’s teachers have ratified a new contract that would increase the dollars going into certified staff pay by 8 percent, the teachers’ chief negotiator said this afternoon.

The new contract will go before Lawrence’s school board tonight, where it is expected to be approved.

“It passed. It was pretty overwhelming,” said Kelly Barker, chief negotiator for the Lawrence Education Assn.

Barker would not reveal the exact vote among the district’s 850 certified personnel.

“We had a huge majority in favor of it,” Barker said.

The minimum raise for a teacher in the contract will be $2,400, he said.

“About half the people are getting a little bit above 8 percent and about half the people are getting below 8 percent,” he said.

The contract replaces the old 25-level salary schedule with a new 15-level grid that puts more money into the salaries of career teachers, he said. The salary grid is based on years of service and the educational level attained.

“Depending on where you were, how many years of experience you have, how much education you have, your raise could be a little different,” Barker said.

The new schedule will bring beginning teachers into the higher salaries of career teachers faster and will reward veteran teachers, he said.

“It gives us a little more flexibility to get people more money quickly,” Barker said.