SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco's teachers avoided a strike Tuesday by reaching a tentative agreement, including an 81/2 percent pay raise, with the school district.

Members of the United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, aides, social workers and other school employees, will likely vote on the contract next week.

The tentative agreement includes the pay raises, which will be doled out during the life of the contract, which is about two years, according to district spokeswoman Lorna Ho.

Both sides were pleased with the agreement, reached late Monday, as union leaders had said they were at the brink of a strike.

"We're pretty happy," said union spokesman Matthew Hardy.

But Ho warned the district would need to make "significant cuts to afford the contract." She said those could include school closures or consolidations, job or program cuts.

The district also is hoping to place a parcel tax on next year's ballot.

The average teacher in the district earns $53,000 annually.