Lincolnshire-Prairie View teachers get new deal

Lincolnshire-Prairie View Elementary District 103 teachers have a new six-year contract.

Approved by the school board during a special meeting Wednesday, the pact provides an average 5 percent annual pay increase, Superintendent Larry Fleming said. The individual amount would depend on the teacher's tenure.

"I'm thrilled this has been completed," Fleming said. "It really is an excellent contract."

The teachers union ratified the contract last week. Union officials were not available to comment Thursday.

Negotiations started in March and took about six months because the entire 50-page contract had to be rewritten because of changes in the Illinois School Code, Fleming said.

A key point in the pact is teacher health benefits increased, while the cost of those benefits fell.

"We reduced our health care premiums tremendously by changing providers," Fleming said. "That alone saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars while improving heath care coverage at the same time."

He said the deal conforms to the district's financial outlook while allowing it to remain competitive to recruit and keep good teachers.

He said 75 percent of the district's budget is on payroll.

It emphasizes the importance of staff development and provides incentives for teachers to pursue graduate coursework and professional workshops, he explained.

"We reimburse teachers a percentage of the cost of their tuition," Fleming said. "Also, because most of our teachers have master's degrees, we encourage them to go to more workshops, and we increased the stipend amount for those workshops."

Board President David Panitch said teachers are the most important ingredient to the success of students and the district.

"The district followed a methodical process that focused on the balance between fiscal soundness and educational excellence for our students," he said.