Hawthorn Elementary District 73 teachers and other unionized employees get new contract

Hawthorn Elementary District 73 teachers and school board members have agreed to a new, three-year contract, officials said in a statement.

The deal, which also applies to custodians and other unionized employees, calls for average pay increases of approximately 2.6 percent for each of the three years, officials said.

The pact is effective July 1 and runs through June 2018.

The contract also covers support personnel working in the Vernon Hills-based school district.

The school board approved the deal Monday. The teachers union ratified it, too.

Employees will receive:

• A 2.79-percent salary increase for the 2015-16 term.

• A 2.74-percent raise in 2016.

• A 2.23-percent raise in 2017.

The new starting salary for teachers under the deal is $41,356, Superintendent Nick Brown said. The new average salary is $63,067.

Brown called the contract negotiations "very collaborative."