Dist. 158 teachers seek 10.6 percent raise

Most teachers in Huntley Unit District 158 would get a 10.6 percent raise next year under a proposal released by the teachers union this week.

A first-year District 158 teacher making $34,688 this year would make $38,378 next year, according to the proposal.

That's a 7 percent increase in base pay and a 3.5 percent raise for one additional year of experience.

Teachers would get the same raise the year after that in the union's proposal, which calls for a two-year contract to replace the current two-year deal.

Teachers with master's degrees would fare even better under the proposal.

Teachers with master's degrees would get an 11.7-percent raise next year under the union's proposal.

In addition to the base-pay raises and annual raises for experience, teachers with master's degrees would get an additional 1 percent annual raise.

The union's contract proposal says the raises would bring teacher salaries in District 158 in line with pay in neighboring Community Unit District 300.

The proposal also says the raises for teachers with master's degrees would create an incentive for teachers.

"In this district, it costs more to earn a master's degree than it pays," the proposal states.

The district also would pay for 100 percent of employee-only health insurance and 90 percent of full family insurance under the union plan.

Currently, the district already covers 100 percent of employee-only health care and about 53 percent of full family insurance, according to the district's figures.

Teachers who opt out of medical insurance would get $3,600 a year under the union's plan.

Under the district's proposal for a four-year contract, most teachers would get 4.25 percent raises next year.

For three years after that, salaries would rise 0.25 percent above the rate of inflation, as long as inflation is between 2 percent and 5 percent.

"The board is in the position of having to balance the needs of the (union) and the financial realities of running a large fast growth district," the district's proposal states.

The district would pay 3 percent more of teachers' health care premiums in each of the next four years under the district's proposal.

Teachers wouldn't get any extra money for opting out of medical insurance.

Two neighboring school districts recently approved new teachers contracts.

In Elgin Area School District U-46, the average total raise this year was 6.1 percent, while teachers in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 agreed to total raises of 6.2 percent to 8.5 percent.

District 158 and the teachers union have agreed not to comment publicly on contract negotiations.

The current teachers contract expires June 30.