Indian Prairie School District 204 teachers will receive 2.9% raises in the first year of a four-year contract approved recently by the district’s school board, with subsequent raises to come in the following years.
The agreement reached with the district’s teachers union also provides a “financial safeguard” clause that allows for review of the contract after two years should there be significant revenue shifts or legislative changes from the state, per the district.
More than 2,000 members of Indian Prairie’s workforce are represented by the Indian Prairie Education Association, which is part of the Illinois Education Association and National Education Association, per IPEA’s website. The district’s teachers have been represented by the IPEA since it was chartered as an Illinois Education Association local in 1983.
Before securing school board approval, the contract was ratified by IPEA members on April 24, with 54% of its membership voting in favor of the agreement, according to a recent message from the school district to the community.
“(The contract) recognizes the expertise and dedication our members bring to their classrooms,” IPEA President Katie Popp said in the district’s recent message.
Under the contract, which extends until 2030, teachers’ salaries will go up by 2.9% in the first year of the contract and 2.7% in the second year, according to the district’s message about the approval of the contract. In the third and fourth years, raises will be equal to 80% of the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, and will be limited to between 2.25% and 5%.
The starting salary for first-year teachers will go up by $1,636 in the first year of the contract, bringing the district’s base salary up to $58,039, per the district.
The contract also expands planning time for elementary staff, the district message said, and commits to “ongoing professional growth and recruitment of positions in high-need areas.”
“Attracting and retaining top-tier talent is the single most important thing we can do for our students,” District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley said in the recent district statement. “By increasing our starting salary and expanding dedicated planning time, we are ensuring that Indian Prairie remains a destination district where teachers feel supported.”
After two years, however, the contract could be reviewed in the event of the district experiencing significant revenue shifts or legislative changes at the state level, the district message indicated.
School board President Laurie Donahue said that the contract’s provisions reflect the district’s commitment to its educators, as well as to “fiscal stewardship to the community.”
“By tying compensation to economic indicators and including vital ‘financial safeguard’ clauses,” Donahue said in the district message, “we have created a sustainable path forward that provides long-term stability for both our staff and our taxpayers.”
At the May 4 school board meeting, during which the contract secured final approval, school board Vice President Allison Fosdick said the contract represents “a lot of time and effort.”
“We appreciate the coming together of both sides that’s reflective of our positive and ongoing relationship with our staff,” Fosdick said at the meeting.
The most recent contract for District 204 teachers was approved
More Top Picks How To Handle Homework Meltdowns Without Yelling
in 2022. The terms of that agreement included a one-time $1,500 bonus and 5% raises in the first two years of the contract, followed by salary bumps equal to the Consumer Price Index capped at 5% for the last two years of the contract.