District 200 Board Approves 3-Year Teacher Contract

The District 200 Board of Education approved a three-year teacher contract Wednesday night with the Wheaton Warrenville Education Association (), for the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 school years, according to a District 200 press release.

The WWEA represents approximately 1,000 teachers in District 200. The contract includes the following, according to the release:

Increased hours

• The three-year contract increases the hours for elementary and middle school teachers to support the newly implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Elementary teachers will work an additional 30 minutes per day and middle school teachers will work an additional 30 minutes one day per week. The increase in teacher work time is targeted to support student achievement.

Faith Dahlquist, assistant superintendent for educational services in District 200 said in a statement, “The extended work day for teachers will allow for more common meeting times in which teams of teachers will collaborate and focus on improved student learning.”       

Changes to salary structure

• A six percent retirement salary enhancement, which was available to teachers in the District in each of their last four years prior to retirement, has been eliminated.

However, the District agreed to implement a post-employment compensation program. Following a teachers’ retirement, the post-employment compensation will allow teachers who have served the District for at least 18 years to receive a one-time payment of $500 for every year of service, according to the release The one-time payment will not have any impact on their TRS pension benefit since it is a post-employment payment.

The compensation will be cost-neutral in that the difference between the retiring teacher’s salary and the replacement teacher’s salary will more than compensate for the post-employment payment.

Additional compensation provisions in the contract agreement include:

• Year 1: Teachers will receive a quarter of a step movement, paid in June 2013, with a one-time payment for staff at the bottom of the salary schedule. The overall increased cost to the District in compensation for Year 1 of the three-year contract agreement is approximately 0.64 percent.
• Year 2: Teachers will receive half of a step movement, paid in March 2014, with a one-time payment for staff at the bottom of the salary schedule. In addition, there will be a one percent increase to the extra-duty stipend base. The overall increase to the District cost in compensation for Year 2 of the three-year contract agreement is approximately 2.9 percent.
• Year 3: Compensation for the final year of the three-year contract agreement is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and calls for a one percent increase in the salary base across the schedule effective September 1, 2014. Any step movement is tied to 75 percent of the CPI. Total compensation for Year 3 will be based on 75 percent of the CPI calculation, which will also determine what portion of the step movement is possible. Finally, the extra-duty stipend base will be increased by one percent. The overall increased cost to the District for Year 3 of the three-year contract agreement will be determined by the CPI, but will range between one to 3.4 percent.

Based on current revenue projections, the contract supports a balanced budget and provides a contract reopener memorandum to address potential changes in the state pension law. 

District 200 Superintendent Dr. Brian Harris said in a statement, “This settlement provides for a balanced budget for the next three years based on our projections and includes a provision to bargain the impact of any legislative changes that could affect teachers pensions.”

The new contract also implements the new law regarding teacher evaluation, Senate Bill 7, and provides for fiscally responsible compensation. 

“It is a fair settlement for both the District and the WWEA. We each had to make compromises to reach the agreement," Harris said.
 
WWEA President Bryce Cann said he is also pleased to “finalize this agreement so that our members are able to focus solely on teaching and student learning. This agreement reflects the continuing commitment of the WWEA to work collaboratively with the District on the issues facing us right now.”

Information courtesy of a District 200 press release.