District 46 Board Approves Tentative Agreement Between District, Teacher's Union

The District 46 Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve the tentative agreement between the district and the teacher's union.

"It's tentative because they haven't dotted all the I's and crossed the T's yet on the contract," said Board President Ray Millington.

Board Secretary Sue Facklam added that when the board votes on the final document, the contents will not change.

Here are the details of the contract, which covers 2012-2014:

• The first year, 2012-13, there will be a hard freeze, "no base increase, no step, no lane."

• The second year, on Sept. 30, 2013, there will be a $500 lump-sum stipend paid to teachers on-schedule.

• There will be a one-lane change for eligible teachers on Sept. 30, 2013.

• Off-schedule teachers will receive a $1,000 base salary increase effective Sept. 15, 2013.

• On Feb. 15, 2014, there will be a one-step increase for on-schedule teachers, without retroactive pay.

• On Feb. 15, 2014, there will be a lane change for teachers on a Bachelor of Arts lane to a Master of Arts lane who are in an approved Master's program up to an aggregate cost of $3,200.

• For retirement, those who give written notice prior to March 1, 2013, they will get an increase for four years at 5.75 percent. For those who give written notice after March 1, 2013, the increase will be for three years at 4 percent.

• Extra-duty stipends will be frozen for both 2012-2013 and 2013-14.

Additionally, there will be three make-up days for the strike.

"I want to thank everybody for the work they put into it," said Millington, calling it a "tremendous effort" between the board and the union.

The teacher's union voted Jan. 30 to ratify the contract.