Bensenville teachers, board reach tentative agreement

Teachers and the Bensenville Elementary District 2 school board appear to have reached a tentative contract agreement following a Tuesday night bargaining session.

The union's roughly 190 teachers have been working under terms of a contract that expired at the start of the school year.

Superintendent James Stelter confirmed the tentative agreement Wednesday morning and union leader Roberta Murphy said she expects both sides to release a joint statement with details on the new deal after a meeting later in the day.

Stelter said the statement likely will be released Thursday morning.

The two sides have been at the bargaining table for roughly 18 months and sticking points have centered on insurance benefits, salary and a longevity clause the district sought to give newer teachers higher pay increases and at a faster pace than tenured ones.

The union says District 2's teachers are paid less than teachers in 26 of 28 other elementary districts in DuPage County.

Teachers received annual pay increases of 2.25 percent from 2012 through 2014. They received annual 4 percent increases from 2015 through 2017.