Will Grayslake charter school be the same with union teachers?

As teachers await a decision on their unionization attempt at Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake, there are questions on how the move may affect the education concept.

Lack of pay is cited as the chief reason more than half of 27 certified staffers recently signed cards to become a unit of the Lake County Federation of Teachers union. Officials expect a state agency to grant the request.

Prairie Crossing's teachers became eligible for union representation through a law Gov. Pat Quinn signed last July, which also allows the number of charter schools to grow from 60 to 120 statewide. Charter school instructors had not been allowed to organize under state labor laws.

Open since 1999, Prairie Crossing serves kindergarten through eighth grade with an environmentally focused curriculum, and is one of 35 small choice public schools in Illinois. It is Lake County's only charter school.

Laura Elizabeth Fay, a parent and former Prairie Crossing board member, said one of the school's charms has been its casual atmosphere.

Fay said it's not uncommon for parents to collaborate with teachers on school tasks. She said she supports the teachers' quest for more money, but is concerned about union work rules that would be part of a new contract.

"I think it'll cripple how we work with the teachers," Fay said.

But Mike McGue, the Lake County Federation of Teachers union president, said the instructors would continue working in Prairie Crossing's best interests. He said the main issue for the teachers is gaining more pay.

Prairie Crossing's 360 students mostly come from within the boundaries of Woodland Elementary District 50 and Fremont Elementary District 79, with enrollment decided by lottery. Tuition is charged only for students outside of Fremont and Woodland.

Teachers at Prairie Crossing are paid an average of $38,040, compared to Woodland's $54,797 and Fremont's $59,727, according to the 2009 state report card.

"I think there is a feeling they're woefully underpaid," McGue said. "They're one of the lowest-paying schools in the suburbs."

Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board members will scrutinize the signatures on cards seeking union representation. McGue said authorization for a bargaining unit may occur in about two months, and a Prairie Crossing local president already has been tabbed.

Republican state Sen. Dan Duffy of Lake Barrington was among the few legislators to vote against the measure that opened the union door to charter school teachers.

Duffy said he supports the law's provision doubling the number of smaller charter schools, but objected to the section allowing charter school instructors to organize.

"I don't like when the teachers have the ability to unionize," he said, "because it takes away (schools') flexibility."

Prairie Crossing board President Geoff Deigan said he doesn't expect high academic standards or anything else to change with union teachers. He said it is another part of the charter school evolution.

Deigan said school leaders should take a positive view of entering talks for the teachers' first union deal. "I think we have a unique opportunity to see how we can be - I don't want to say creative - but how we can do it (the contract) as a model," Deigan said.

Although it receives state money to cover each student, Prairie Crossing isn't eligible for additional funding like traditional public schools. The school tries to gain private money from fundraisers and other methods for salaries and some operating expenses.

McGue said teachers are well aware of Prairie Crossing's tight budget, which is $2.8 million for the current academic year. He said the administration and board won't need to incur large bills for negotiations.

"We're not seeking to tie the district's hands any more than they want to be tied," he said.

Deigan said the school receives 80 percent of its revenue from the state. He said the reliability of that money is Prairie Crossing's major concern.