Dist. 204 teacher contract talks off to quiet start

Contract talks between the Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school board and its teachers union have begun, with seven months remaining on the existing pact.

The current three-year deal, approved in 2006 during what were described as "frank" negotiations, expires Aug. 25.

Neither board President Mark Metzger nor Indian Prairie Education Association President Val Dranias would comment on specifics of the negotiations.

"We're negotiating a contract and there's nothing magic or special about it," Metzger said Thursday. "But over the years we've learned that everyone wants their say in it, so we've decided it is best to limit conversations to only the people at the bargaining table."

Dranias also is tight-lipped, declining to discuss the union's bargaining position.

"At the moment, we will not be talking about contract negotiations," Dranias said Wednesday. "Yes, they started and we will let everyone know what the particulars are once we've reached an agreement."

The current contract, representing 1,811 teachers in 29 schools, provided raises of 4.4 percent in 2006, 4.2 percent in 2007 and 3.9 percent in 2008.

Under the agreement, the starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor's degree and no experience is $39,225. A teacher with a master's degree plus 60 hours of additional college credit and 23 years experience now makes $95,796.

The district also is negotiating with its support staff. That group's three-year deal expires in April and included a 5.15 percent increase in salary and benefits for 2006-07, a 4.11 percent increase for 2007-08 and a 4.02 percent increase for 2008-09.