U-46, union reach tentative deal

Elgin Area School District U-46 and the Elgin Teachers Association reached a tentative contract agreement, according to a joint statement Saturday night.

The agreement is not final, so no details of the deal were not yet available.

The plan will be presented to members of the Elgin Teachers Association board of directors and representatives April 2 and 4, with a full vote by the nearly 2,200 union members expected by April 12.

If the plan is approved, it will come before the U-46 board of education on April 23 for final approval.

“We look forward to sharing the agreement with our teachers in the coming weeks,” said Kathryn Castle, president of the Elgin Teachers Association in the statement.

In February, the two entities requested a federal mediator to act as a go-between and to help reach a settlement after months of fruitless negotiations.

One of the sticking points in the more than 10 months of negotiations included changing the length and structure of the school day. No details were released explaining the agreement, or what it would mean for class time in U-46 schools.

Donna Smith, president of the U-46 school board, thanked both bargaining teams in the release for their commitment.

“We also appreciate the dedication of our teachers who have waited patiently for a resolution to the ongoing contract discussions,” she said.

Teachers have been working under an extension to the 2007-2010 teachers contract.