Roselle District 12 approves 3-year pact with teachers

A new three-year contract has been approved for more than 50 teachers and other certified staff members in Roselle Elementary District 12.

Educators will receive annual salary increases of 2 percent in the first year of the pact and 2 percent in the second. During the third year, the raise will be at least 1.5 percent, but it could be more if the consumer price index exceeds that percentage.

The school board voted 6-1 to approve the contract during a special Tuesday meeting. Board member Andrew Babcock opposed it.

The Roselle Education Association, which represents the teachers, ratified the agreement Aug. 1.

"It's tremendous work on both sides to do what we need to do for kids," Superintendent Melissa Kaczkowski said Friday. "The board and the union team worked very hard and really worked collaboratively to get to this point."

The teachers and board members who negotiated the deal had at least five lengthy meetings over a three-month period.

District officials said in a written statement that the terms of the contract represent a commitment to a list of priorities. That list included providing a high quality educational experience for students; achieving and sustaining a balanced budget during the term of the contract; achieving and sustaining a 25 percent or greater fund balance during the term of the contract; and providing a fair and competitive salary and benefit package to the teachers.

Kaczkowski said the goal is to live up to commitments that were made when voters in 2016 approved a property tax increase.

"We need to do the facilities work that's needed and devote resources to kids and programming," Kaczkowski said, "and put an offer on the table that respects the work that our teachers do here."

District 12 serves roughly 700 students at Spring Hills School and Roselle Middle School.