School begins, clock winds down on teachers' contract in Dist 220

Students dutifully returned to classrooms in Barrington Unit District 220 Tuesday, though the teachers they reported to have only a week left on their contract.

The nearness of Monday's contract expiration creates a very different scenario from when it was last negotiated in December 2005 - more than eight months before its three-year agreement took effect.

Of course, the district hasn't enjoyed the same financial stability this year it had then. Last spring, the school board laid off the equivalent of 13 full-time employees divided among teachers, administrators and support staff.

School board President Brian Battle said Tuesday there was very little he could say Tuesday because of his agreement with the other parties in the talks. Teachers union President Melanie Collins couldn't be reached.

"We kind of decided as a group that we would issue no comment until it was done," Battle said. "At this point, we continue to work hard for a quick resolution.

"If there was anything we felt we needed to communicate to parents, we would certainly do so," he added.

Though both parties have been quiet on the contract talks, a tax watch group says there's only one outcome that's fair to taxpayers hard hit by the economy.

Carol Schubert, president of the Barrington Enlightened Taxpayers Association, said she and her board of directors believe a pay freeze should be imposed - even if only for a year - because of the economy's current unpredictability.

"In view of what has gone on in other districts, I fear they're going to give (teachers) a bigger raise than they deserve," Schubert said. "Anything more than a freeze is a disservice to the taxpayer."

The district's last negotiations ended up with a three-year pact that increased salaries an average of just over 5 percent per year. At the time, the average teaching salary was $60,700.

That contract's highest increases went to both entry-level and top-of-scale positions, with the idea that it strengthened the district's ability to attract and retain talented teachers.

Though no official word about the contract negotiations has been made, Schubert said she suspects the terms of teachers' health insurance is a major sticking point.

"They should be paying half," Schubert said of the teachers' insurance. "We shouldn't be paying for this."

She added her group can do little but adopt a wait-and-see attitude, but that they'd be most happy with a one-year contract with no pay raises as a stopgap measure.

"I truly hope Brian (Battle) and the board represent the taxpayers' interests," Schubert said, "and do not give them an increase - not in this economy."