The Glenbard High School District 87 board and its teachers’ union have taken steps to deal with a looming faculty walkout over salaries.
The Glenbard Education Association has filed the necessary legal intent-to-strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. A strike would be the first in the 83-year history of the district.
The school district has set up a hot line, 630-942-7696, to give students and parents daily updates about a potential disruption of the start of classes scheduled for Tuesday. Teachers are to report Monday for a planning day.
The Glenbard Education Association also has a Web site, www.mcs.net/glenning.
The district also has mailed parents a letter explaining what will occur in the event of a walkout.
The two sides continued negotiations late Thursday in efforts to hammer out a settlement. Teachers will meet at 6 p.m. Friday at the College of DuPage, Building K, in Glen Ellyn, to hear details of a proposed contract or vote on a walkout.
If a tentative settlement is reached, teachers could ratify or reject the pact at a meeting at 6 p.m. Sunday in Glenbard North High School, Carol Stream.
The teachers union has been pressing for a pay boost ranging from 7.3 percent to 14.9 percent in a one-year contract. Its demand would cost the district $3.9 million. The cost-of-living increase last year was 1.7 percent.
The school board has been offering a 9 percent increase spread over three years, costing $1 million. The annual budget is $77.4 million.
“This is a work in progress,” said William Wright, Glenbard Education Association president and social studies teacher at Glenbard North.
“We’re doing our best,” said Donna France, a school board member. “I hope we can come to an agreement that is fair for everyone concerned.”
In its letter to parents, the school district said, “The Board of Education remains committed to working for a responsible, fair and equitable settlement and is willing to meet with the GEA (Glenbard Education Association) as often and as long as it takes to try and ensure that schools open on schedule.”
But if there is a strike, the four Glenbard high schools will be closed to all students and staff, except for administrators and security workers.
“There will be no bus service, classes, special events, extracurricular activities or athletic contests or programs,” the district said. “During a strike, off-campus practices, athletic events and other student activities are not sanctioned by the district and those who participate do so at their own risk.”
A weeklong strike would force cancellation of the first football games of the season. On Aug. 28, Glenbard North is scheduled to play at Bartlett High School and Glenbard East is to play at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park. On Aug. 29, Glenbard South is to host West Chicago High School and Glenbard West is to be at home against Wheaton-Warrenville South High School.
Glenbard students enrolled in career courses at the DAVEA Center in Addison–they attend their home school a half-day and the other half at the center–can attend those classes. These students usually are bused to and from DAVEA, but that service would be canceled in the event of a teachers strike. These students would need to provide their own transportation.
The strike possibility has angered some students and parents who have been demonstrating outside District 87 offices during negotiations. Some students have been holding up signs urging passing motorists to honk their horns if they don’t want a strike.
“It hits the students hard,” said Maryann Krieglstein, whose son, Thomas, is a senior at Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn. “We’re not against the teachers and we’re not against the board. We just want to keep our children in school.”
“The work world doesn’t get that kind of raise,” said Carol Mohr of Glen Ellyn, referring to the teachers’ demand for a pay boost of 7.3 percent and more. “How can they expect the taxpayers to fund this kind of raise?”
In the contract that expired this month, a beginning Glenbard teacher with a bachelor’s degree was paid $31,738 a year. The top of the scale was $76,171 for a teacher with 20 years of experience, a master’s degree and 45 additional hours of college credit. Of 564 teachers, 199 were at the top pay level.
Glenbard teachers can receive more money for coaching athletic teams, serving as advisers for student extracurricular activities and chairing academic departments. Annual stipends range from $1,190 to $7,494, depending on the sport or activity.
The average Glenbard teacher’s salary is $63,071, or $1,752 a week for the 36-week school year. This includes stipends for the extra work.
District 87 has 7,950 students in its four high schools, Glenbard North in Carol Stream, Glenbard East in Lombard, Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn and Glenbard South, also in Glen Ellyn.
