The Glencoe District 35 Board of Education and the local teachers union have come to terms on a new five-year collective bargaining agreement featuring salary increases each year.
The District 35 School Board unanimously approved the new pact set to run through the 2028-29 school year with the Glencoe Education Association at their April 11 meeting.
“I was honored to be part of this process. It’s not an easy process on any end but the level of professionalism, creativity and thoughtfulness that everyone brought to the process was admirable,” District 35 School Board President Kelly Glauberman said at the meeting. “Negotiations are hard and I am just pleased that all in all it was a process of which I was very proud to be a part of.”
The new contract includes salary increases of 5.5% in the 2024-25 school year, 5% in 2025-26 and 4.5% hikes in the last three years, according to District 35 Director of Finance and Operations Jason Edelheit.
The GEA membership ratified the contract on April 4, according to a statement released after the school board meeting.
GEA Co-President Karen Leeds said approximately two thirds of the members voted for the new pact, adding the union is composed of 138 teachers and 36 teacher associates.
“The GEA bargaining team worked collaboratively with the board of education to negotiate a contract that benefited all members and felt that a five year contract would enable GEA members to plan for the future,” Leeds wrote in an email.
The average District 35 teacher’s salary is $99,724 according to the Illinois Report Card, which is operated by the Illinois Department of Education. Nearly 80% of the teachers have advanced degrees.
Edelheit said the salary range is between $50,503 and $178,721 and salaries and benefits represent between 75 – 80% of overall district operating expenditures.
The new pact also includes increased insurance benefits, maintaining retirement benefits and expanded professional learning time.
The current contract expires at the end of this school year.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.