Naperville School District 203 Board of Education has reached a tentative deal with its teachers union, averting a threatened strike and ensuring classes will take place as scheduled next week, according to a joint statement released Friday afternoon by school and union officials.
The agreement ends months of negotiations between the two sides, including four negotiation sessions in the past week. Teachers started the school year without a deal in place after their prior contract expired June 30.
The tentative deal will now be presented to both parties for consideration and a vote, according to the joint statement. Terms of the agreement won’t be made public until after the union ratifies the contract and the board reviews it, the statement said.
“Our priority has always been to provide students with the high-quality education they deserve, and this agreement helps us continue that work,” school board President Charles Cush said. “This reflects our dedication to ensuring Naperville 203 remains an exemplary school district for students and educators.”
The union announced plans to strike Tuesday after three bargaining sessions this week failed to produce a new contract. Union officials rescinded the threat after meeting Friday with district representatives and a federal mediator.
“We are so incredibly grateful to our students, families and the entire community for all their support during this difficult time. We could not have done this without you,” Naperville Unit Education Association President Ross Berkley said. “We are proud to say we’ve reached a tentative agreement that values our students and our educators. One that will continue to meet the high standard for excellence that we have here in District 203.”
The tentative agreement ends a contentious week that started Monday at a regular school board meeting. Thunderstorms cut short a planned rally, but more than 40 teachers, parents and students in a packed administration building advocated for a fair contract for more than two hours.
Shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, the union announced its teachers would strike starting Tuesday, saying the school board’s latest proposal was taking a step backward. The strike would have closed schools for about 16,000 students and canceled extracurricular activities and sports. Remote learning was not an option.
“We have always said a strike is our last resort,” Berkley said in a statement Thursday night. “However, after months of bargaining, overwhelming community support and the board’s refusal to make meaningful progress, we have reached a point where we may have no other choice. As a result, we have set our official strike date.”
Berkley said the union had wanted to make sure the community had as much time as possible to make arrangements for their children. The union represents more than 1,500 teachers and licensed staff members. Contract negotiations began in February.
In a message to parents Friday morning, Superintendent Dan Bridges said the district learned of the NUEA’s strike date along with the rest of the community and reiterated that the board was committed to reaching an agreement to keep students in the classroom.
“We understand how important it is for our students to continue their learning without disruption, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that happens,” Bridges said.
The strike would have been the district’s first since a three-day walkout in 1991.
Union members voted Aug. 13 to authorize a strike — the legal step necessary in advance of a walkout — and rallied at two school board meetings this month to drum up support for a fair contract.
Some of the key sticking points were teacher salaries and the Innovative School Experience, which calls for a change to the structure of the school day as well as the start and end times across the grade levels.
The Innovative School Experience would add 15 minutes to the elementary day, more math instruction at the middle school level and a block schedule for middle and high school students. The plan, which was to have been implemented in the 2026-27 school year if approved, was tabled in April after pushback from the community.
The board pulled all language related to the Innovative School Experience before the NUEA issued a strike date, district spokeswoman LeeAnn Betz said in an email.
Sabrina Corson, a parent of two children at Mill Street Elementary School, said she has been thankful for the teachers her children have had, especially when one of them started school during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said District 203 is a high performing district and that she’s grateful the board is fiscally responsible. However, it needs to compensate the teachers, she said.
“We cannot lose them,” said Corson, who volunteers at Mill Street. “We have amazing teachers. It really is a community that feels like an extension of your own family.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
