District 128 approves five-year teacher contract with ‘competitive’ salary and benefits
Teachers in Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128 will be starting the coming school year with a new 5-year contract.
The contract approved by the school board during a special session Monday begins July 1 and comes with an average general salary increase of approximately 4.6% per year.
District 128 administration and the teachers union members were interested in a five-year agreement to provide greater stability in the near term, said Mary Todoric, the district’s communications director.
The contract covers approximately 301 classroom and non-classroom teaching positions, including librarians, counselors, social workers, psychologists, school nurses and others. Libertyville/Vernon Hills High Schools Federation of Teachers ratified the contract May 21.
The agreement followed several months of negotiations and centered around some key principles, including maintaining a competitive salary and benefits relative to peer districts, according to the district.
Starting salary for new District 128 teachers is $64,679 and the top of the salary schedule is $161,155 with a PhD. The top salary next year will be $193,578. The increases will cost about $900,000 more per year than the current contract, Todoric said.
Increased professional development opportunities to support classroom instruction and student achievement, and enhanced provisions for parental and sick leave are other highlights, according a joint press release.
District 128 also will create a joint educator-administrator committee next year to set professional learning goals and actions for the 2026-2027 school year, Todoric said.
Then and each year after, students will start at 10 a.m., rather than 8 a.m., on the last Wednesday of each month. Staff will collaborate during the two-hour late start to strengthen, design and support staff practices to meet student learning needs and district goals, she added.
School board President Jim Batson said the parties collaborated to reach an agreement “that recognizes the important contributions of our dedicated teachers, balanced with the needs of our students and role as responsible stewards of valuable taxpayer resources.”
Union president Dennis Duffy said the five-year agreement preserves financial stability and while providing competitive salaries.
The union looks forward to working with the board to support students “with an eye toward ensuring smaller class sizes and better educational outcomes for students,” he added.