Teacher salaries frozen in new District 57 contract

Mount Prospect Elementary District 57 and its teachers union have approved a new two-year contract that freezes base salary levels over the course of the deal and limits pay increases during its first year.

The first year calls for a “hard freeze,” which means teachers will not be eligible for “step” increases in pay, which typically come with each year of service completed.

Teachers will, however, be eligible for “lane” increases, which reward professional development efforts, such as earning an advanced degree.

The second year calls for a “soft freeze,” in which base salary levels stay frozen but both step and lane increases are offered.

The contract covers the fiscal years that end in 2012 and 2013.

School board member Joseph Leane said the financial aspect of the contract was the most difficult one to negotiate. A federal mediator helped the school board and the Mount Prospect Education Association get through that part of the bargaining.

“Obviously, this deal is symptom of the times we’re living in,” Leane said. “I think it provides adequate support and compensation to our teachers while keeping the district’s finances stable.”

Nonunion employees in the district are in their second year of working without pay increases of any kind, Leane added.

Negotiations for the new contract began in the fall of 2010. The previous contract expired in July.

District 57 serves about 2,000 students from Mount Prospect at four schools. It employs about 170 teachers and administrators and 130 support staff.