Bensenville District 2 approves 5-year teachers contract
The Bensenville Elementary District 2 school board unanimously approved a new five-year contract with its teachers union that will run through the 2021-2022 school year.
Officials said the agreement honors the interests of taxpayers while increasing teachers' salaries to a more competitive level.
"Our teachers are top-notch. We knew we had to improve our pay to keep them in district, so increasing teachers' salaries to a more competitive level quickly emerged as a primary goal for both parties," board President Robert Laudadio said. "The challenge was finding ways to achieve that goal within the constraints of the district's budget. Hard work and compromise by both sides enabled us to craft a contract that accomplishes those goals."
Teachers had been working under terms of a contract that expired at the beginning of the school year. The new contract will immediately increase teachers' salaries.
Raises for the first three years will average 5 percent, 5.5 percent, and 5.25 percent. Raises in the contract's final two years will range between 3 percent and 5 percent, depending upon inflation rates.
The deal also gives the district's most experienced teachers larger raises than previous contracts, a sticking point for many instructors during the negotiations.
The contract also increases salaries for the first six years of the schedule. Teachers choosing select insurance plans will pay higher shares of their premiums under the new contract than under prior contracts. The new shares will be closer to what teachers pay in neighboring DuPage school districts.
"We value our teachers and want them to know how much we appreciate their work," Superintendent James Stelter said. "We want to invest in them and watch them grow and succeed alongside the students they serve, and we want them to lead rewarding careers as educators and be a part of the Bensenville School District 2 family for many years to come."