Elmhurst D205 Board, Teachers Approve 3-Year Contract

Submitted by Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205.

At its Tuesday, Nov, 24 meeting, the Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board of Education approved a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Elmhurst Teachers’ Council (ETC) in a 5-2 vote.

The agreement was ratified by the ETC membership on Friday, Nov. 20.

“I want to thank all parties for the significant time commitment they made to this process,” said Board President Shannon Ebner. “We hope to continue conversations aimed at improving district-wide collaboration and building stronger relationships between teachers, administration and the Board. It was important to settle this contract so that we can return our professional conversations to learning and teaching, thereby heightening our focus on student achievement.”

The contract, which begins in 2015-16, contains a compensation package that includes a base teacher salary increase of 1.5 percent, a stipend compensation increase of 1.5 percent and step increases between 2.25 percent and 3.5 percent for each of the three years of the agreement. Additional incentives are included for professional development and increased individual involvement on District 205 committees.

In addition to the compensation package, other items identified and agreed to include: the formation of a Middle School Task Force, to review middle school programming; a Stipend Task Force, for the purpose of reviewing stipend positions and other rates of compensation; and a joint commitment to developing professional learning opportunities for our teachers.

“This contract provides greater financial stability for our distinguished teachers and defines structures for increased mutual problem solving between administration and teachers. This collaborative nature was best illustrated throughout the negotiation process, in which all parties were able to express their concerns and interests at the table and reach compromise,” said ETC President and Lead Negotiator Katy Padberg.

“Both of the negotiating parties worked diligently over the last eleven months to come together inorder to solve issues through collaborative conversations. While the process was long, the focus never wavered on finding solutions that considered all perspectives,” said Dr. Jim Woell, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Lead Negotiator for District 205.

The Elmhurst Teachers’ Council represents the over 650 teachers and certified staff of Elmhurst School District 205 and is a member of the West Suburban Teachers Union, Local 571. Local 571 is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO.