District 211 teachers threaten strike

Teachers in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 teachers say they will go on strike if they don't reach a new deal with the district by June 30, when their current contract ends.

The next mediation session with the board is set for April 14, according to a news release issued by the Illinois Federation of Teachers on behalf of the District 211 union, which took a strike vote Thursday night.

Details on the sticking points of the negotiations were not available.

“Our union and the board have always collaborated to ensure that our district is financially responsible. As a result, our district has an enormous surplus, but that money doesn't do our students any good sitting in a bank account,” Anita Lee, a social studies teacher at Palatine High School and local union president, said in the news release.

District 211 officials could not be reached for comment.

Negotiations have been contentious in the past, and the teachers union was poised for walkouts in 2018 and in 2007 before agreeing to new contracts.