The Naperville School District 203 board and leaders of the teachers union soon will open negotiations on a new contract.
The sides should outline a process for the talks by the end of the month, and negotiations could begin soon after, David Griffith, president of the Naperville Unit Education Association, said Thursday.
The sides tentatively had scheduled a meeting for Monday, but the board requested a delay in order to study a funding report by a citizens committee.
The current three-year contract, which expires after this school year, has been controversial because of the size of raises it gave the 1,200-member union. The pact, which cost $19 million, resulted in increases averaging 8.5 percent annually in salaries and benefits. As a result, the school board has been under pressure to reach an agreement with the teachers union before seeking a tax increase. The district’s education fund deficit is expected to grow to $16.5 million by next summer.
The Education for the 21st Century Committee, which had studied the district’sneeds since June, recommended this week that the board seek money through a referendum proposal. The citizens group also urged the board to have an agreement with the teachers union before filing for a referendum measure, which must be done by Jan. 11 for the March election.
An independent citizens group, 203 Voices, also has asked the board to reach an agreement before scheduling a ballot measure. The group said having a contract would help assure the community that new money would be spent as proposed in a referendum campaign.
The group also called on the board and administrators to answer questions and criticisms about the last contract, including any role it might have played in the district’s financial troubles. The deal was hammered out during a marathon bargaining session in 1999 that averted a threatened teachers strike.
The citizens committee recommended the board consider a tax-increase request in the range of 50 to 65 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. If voters approve higher taxes, the district should use some of the money to keep teacher salaries competitive, the committee said.
The committee found the district’s teachers have 15.7 years of experience, compared with a 14.8 state average. Under the current contract, the pay range went from $31,270 to $74,201 up to $33,822 to $80,255.Griffith said the union will hold meetings to get teachers’ input. Board President Osie Davenport said the board will evaluate the citizens committee report before making any decisions about a referendum proposal. The board will review the document with the committee at 7 p.m. Monday at the district office.
