Students could be back in the classroom by the beginning of next week, after a tentative deal between the province and the B.C. Teachers' Federation was reached in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Negotiators for the two sides reached the agreement after a marathon bargaining session with the help of veteran mediator Vince Ready.
The deal must still be ratified by the teachers' union in a vote this Thursday.
But parents, teachers and students who woke up to the news Tuesday morning were already breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Grade 12 Argyle student Hannah Green said she was "really, really excited" to hear about a possible end to the strike when she turned on the news. "It's a big weight off our shoulders," she said.
Green said she's looking forward to going back to school. "It will be really nice to have some familiarity back," she said.
Sutherland teacher Norm Nichols said he was pleasantly surprised a deal had been reached. "I expected we were probably going to October," he said. "This has come as a real relief."
Nichols called the deal "a step in the right direction," regardless of what's in it.
"It's better the deal was negotiated rather than legislated," he said. "There's a stronger commitment to whatever they've decided."
Few details of the deal were available ahead of the agreement being presented to teachers Wednesday.
But Premier Christy Clark confirmed in a news conference a six-year term is being proposed.
Other leaked details included the possibility of a 7.25 per cent wage hike for teachers, money to address BCTF grievances related to class size and composition and more than $480 million to boost classroom supports.
Clark described the negotiated deal to media Tuesday as "fantastic news" and a "really remarkable achievement."
Clark thanked families for their patience during the strike, adding, "It was a painful thing for so many families to endure this work stoppage."
She called the agreement a "game changer," adding, "Our kids could be back in school as early as Monday."
Administrators in both North Vancouver and West Vancouver were busy making plans Tuesday to see how early classrooms could be open.
Some of that may be determined by what's in the tentative agreement.
"Our goal is to make sure we open schools as soon as possible," said Dave Eberwein, assistant superintendent of West Vancouver schools. But there will still be practical issues to work out, he added.
Eberwein said administrators have "done a lot of preparation work ahead of time," but will still have to do some classroom planning with teachers once the picket lines come down.
Both school districts will likely start off with a shortened first day of school to allow that to happen.
The physical condition of classrooms will be less of a concern, said Eberwein, adding schools in West Vancouver have been accessible to janitorial and maintenance staff over the summer.
Administrators at both school districts said they expect to send information to parents about a possible first day of school as soon as they have some details worked out.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender said Tuesday education ministry officials are talking with superintendents to figure out how to deal with the time lost from the school year so far, including how that will change the curriculum taught to senior high school students. "There are plans being put in place right now," he said, adding they will be announced after the vote is ratified.
Eberwein said when the news of a possible agreement came out on Tuesday, "There was almost a palpable sense of relief," at school district headquarters. "We can hardly wait to get back at it."
Jim Iker, president of the BCTF, was scheduled to speak to reporters after press time Tuesday.
