A tentative contract agreement has been reached between the Woodland School District 50 Board of Education’s negotiating team and representatives of the teachers union, according to a Friday afternoon news release.
In the joint statement, representatives of both the school board and the Woodland Council said further negotiations were scheduled for Oct. 28 to address outstanding items. Details of the contract agreement won’t be released until union members and the school board cast votes, according to the release.
Union officials had recently voiced urgency in the need for a settlement, noting that teachers had been working without a contract since June 30.
Earlier this month, the latest contract offers in negotiations between the school board and the union were posted for public viewing on the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board website.
While representatives for each side had said a tentative agreement had been reached on several issues recently, salaries, health benefits, class sizes, online grading, and arrival and dismissal times had been cited as sticking points.
According to the school board, its most recent contract offer had included a nearly $5.5 million increase in salary and benefits over the course of a five-year proposal, while the union estimated its proposal’s cost at about $7.9 million.
The two sides have met multiple times since January, including five sessions with a federal mediator.
The Woodland Council represents about 780 teachers and support staff in Gurnee-based District 50. Union employees last went on strike in 2003, said district spokeswoman Jennifer Tempest Bova.
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