Tentative teachers pact reached in River Trails schools

The teachers union and school board in River Trails Elementary School District 26 have reached a tentative agreement on a new employment contract, officials said Thursday.

"We're pleased to have reached this point," District 26 Superintendent Dane Delli said. "This has taken up much of our attention and effort, as you can imagine."

Delli declined to discuss specifics of the deal, saying that details will be revealed once the pact has been ratified by the River Trails Education Association and approved by the District 26 school board.

"There's a process in place," he said. "We have to let it proceed."

Representatives of the RTEA could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The union and the school board have been negotiating since February. The two sides agreed to use "Interest-Based Bargaining," an approach designed to identify common ground between the parties involved.

The teachers' last contract expired on June 30. They have continued to work under the terms of that deal since then.

The RTEA represents more than 200 teachers and support staff members. District 26 is based in Mount Prospect and consists of two elementary schools and a middle school.