Palatine Dist. 15 teachers, board plan contract vote today

Teachers in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 are expected to vote on a new contract this afternoon, and the board of education will take up the matter at a special meeting called for 4 p.m. today.

Members of the Classroom Teachers Council were expected to vote a few hours before the board meeting on the contract, which would run through the 2011-12 school year.

Support of the teacher's union was an issue during the April school board elections in the financially strapped district, and some candidates were criticized for the perception that they were too sympathetic to the union. Three of the four board members elected then are new to the body. Superintendent Dan Lukich and several top administrators are also new.

In 2006 teachers worked without a contract for weeks and threatened to strike before an agreement was reached.

Today's meeting takes place in Room 205 of the Joseph M. Kiszka Educational Service Center, 580 N. 1st Bank Drive in Palatine. The school board plans to discuss the contract in closed session starting at 4 p.m., and then vote on ratification in open session.