Naperville District 203 approves one-year teachers' deal

Naperville Unit District 203 and its teachers represented by the Naperville Unit Education Association have agreed on a new contract that gives the average returning teacher a 3.29% salary increase but lasts only one year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The contract will take effect on the first teacher employment day of the 2020-21 academic year and will run through June 30, 2021, the district said in a news release after Tuesday night's school board meeting.

Negotiators determined a one-year deal was the best approach for both sides, given the pandemic's effects on education this year and the uncertainty surrounding the effects it could have on instruction next year.

Superintendent Dan Bridges said in a statement that District 203 teachers have "risen to the occasion" during the period of mandated remote learning and have provided students "the best possible education during a very difficult time in our lives."

"This one-year contract provides the time needed to see how the educational landscape changes based on the COVID-19 pandemic," Bridges said.

Dan Iverson, president of the Naperville Unit Education Association, said union members believed it was in their best interest to agree on a contract for next year to provide stability for employees and affordability for the district.

The contract includes a base salary increase of 67% of the consumer price index or 1.27%. Teachers will receive increases specified on a salary step schedule that will give the average returning teacher a salary increase of 3.29%.

"This new contract prioritizes the excellent education and fiscal stewardship our community has come to expect of our educators and district administration as we navigate uncertain times," school board President Kristin Fitzgerald said in a statement.