Arlington Heights D25 and teachers union reach settlement

The Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education and the Arlington Teachers' Association have approved a three-year contract retroactive to the beginning of this school year.

For the current school year, teachers will receive a salary increase of 1.35 percent, according to a district news release. For the 2011-12 school year, they will receive a salary increase equal to 2.45 percent. In 2012-13, the union members will receive a total salary increase equal to the Consumer Price Index, with a guaranteed minimum salary increase of 2.4 percent and a ceiling of 3 percent.

The district said in the news release that the contract aligns expenses with revenues and allows it to remain fiscally responsible with its spending while continuing to provide a quality educational program for students.

The board and the union utilized an interest-based bargaining model. Because of that, negotiations took longer than under traditional bargaining but it provided an opportunity for both bargaining teams to share their interests and concerns, the district said.