East Aurora School District teachers, support staff and office staff have secured pay hikes in the coming year, after a new four-year contract was approved Monday by District 131’s school board.
The agreement, which is between the district’s school board and East Aurora Council IFT/AFT Local 604, goes into effect July 1 and extends through June 30, 2030.
The collective bargaining agreement outlines various employment provisions, including gradual raises for teachers, support staff and office staff.
Teacher salaries in the district, under the agreement, depend on level of education and experience. Under the contract, a copy of which was provided to The Beacon-News by the district, base salary for a district teacher with a bachelor’s degree will start at $53,000 for the 2026-27 school year, increasing by $1,000 annually during the years of the contract.
Teachers with additional education or more experience, and therefore higher starting wages, will also see increases year-to-year under the new contract.
The agreement also sets internal substitution rates of $43 for 2026-2028 and $44 for 2028-2030 per planning or instructional period for when teachers are needed to teach, perform administrative duties or supervise students during their planning time, or when students are placed in a teacher’s class because a substitute was not available. If multiple pre-K or elementary teachers are assigned additional students, affected teachers will split equally a $60 hourly rate, the contract indicates.
The contract also includes raises each year in the hourly pay of support staff and office staff, and establishes hourly pay rates for teachers, support staff and office staff for things like summer school and summer camp.
Additionally, the contract includes a new employee health insurance contribution structure effective Jan. 1, 2027. The changes include increases in the percentage of premiums paid by employees for some plans covered under the contract, from 11% in 2027 up to 15% starting midway through 2029 for an employee only, with similar increases in the employee contributions for plans covering spouses, children and family.
At the district’s school board meeting on Monday, at which the pact was formally approved, East Aurora School District Superintendent Bob Halverson called the approval a “historic and … deeply meaningful milestone,” adding that the agreement “reflects the immense value of every single member of our organization, with absolutely no one left behind.”
“This contract is something our entire community can be proud of,” Halverson said at the meeting. “It represents a new day in East Aurora, one built on mutual respect, collaboration and a shared focus on what matters most: our students and the dedicated staff who serve them.”
Halverson thanked the union’s leadership, the district’s negotiating team and the school board, and said the contract is a result of 10 bargaining sessions and more than 80 hours at the table.
“Both teams remained committed to thoughtful, respectful and productive dialogue,” Halverson added.
At Monday’s meeting, Becky Roireau, the union’s president, and school board president Juan Sifuentes signed the agreement, followed by the other school board members who were present at Monday’s meeting and members of both negotiating teams.
More Top Picks Best Chicken Waterers
“It demonstrates that, when we work together respectfully and keep students at the center of our decisions, we can accomplish meaningful outcomes,” Sifuentes said at the meeting. “I believe this sets a positive tone for the future and strengthens the partnership between the board, (administration), union and our educators.”
“I think that we walked the walk and talked the talk and set the example for the rest of the district on how people can have mutually respectful relationships,” Roireau added. “And it’s powerful.”