The Naperville School District 203 Board of Education and the Naperville Unit Education Association have officially signed off on a new teacher contract, which will bring a boost in hourly rates for extra duties and internal substitution, and an annual salary increase over the next four years. Both groups have now voted to ratify the agreement.
Salary increases annually throughout the four-year contract
On the salary side, combined base salary and average step increases over the four-year contract will “result in a compounded average raise of at least 19.67%,” according to a news release from Naperville 203. That number could rise, officials noted, depending on the Consumer Price Index.
According to a news release by NUEA, teachers will see a base salary boost of 3.85% in year one, 2.5% in year two, and at least 2% in each of the final two years of the contract.
Protections for injury, extended illness, and long-term planning were also built into the contract, according to the NUEA release.
Bumps in hourly rates for additional duties, internal substitution
Hourly rates for additional duties, such as summer teaching, curriculum development, or professional learning, will go up $3 to $11 per hour.
Rates for internal substitution will also increase, moving up from $29 per period or hour to $48.
Licensed employees will also get three extra days of sick leave starting in their 21st year of service, for a total of 18 days.
School day structure to remain intact
The NUEA noted that the agreement also would maintain the current school day structure.
This had been a concern in negotiations, as the school board had proposed an Innovative School Experience several months ago, which would have changed start and end times for students across all grade levels. Although the vote on that new schedule was tabled earlier in April, it had remained a regular topic of discussion.
“Together with the community, we ensured that our students will continue to benefit from the school day structure that has long supported both learning and our community, maintaining the consistency and support our teachers provide,” said NUEA President Ross Berkley.
New contract allows all to move forward
The new contract had been months in the making, with negotiations starting in February of this year. The former contract had expired on June 30, with a tentative agreement resulting in the new deal struck on Aug. 22.
Charles Cush, President of the D203 Board of Education, said the new contract would benefit both students and teachers.
“Our top priority throughout this entire process has been to maintain a stable, high-quality learning environment for our students. This contract secures that stability,” said Cush. “It keeps our educators among the top paid in the state. By investing in our educators, we are directly investing in the quality of instruction in every single classroom across the district.”
Berkley said the teachers were happy with the new contract and grateful for “all the support from our Naperville 203 community.”
“Thank you for standing with us as we stood up for our students and their education,” Berkley said. “We are glad our new contract is ratified, so we can put this behind us and focus on moving forward together with our students, our community and all of our stakeholders.”
District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said the contract agreement put the focus “squarely back on our mission: providing an outstanding education for every student.”
The new contract is retroactive to July 1.
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