The Western Springs Education Association and Western Springs School District 101 recently agreed to a new five-year teachers’ contract.
According to a news release, the contract provides a market-competitive compensation package to WSEA’s members, and long-term stability to the District as it continues to plan for the future education of District 101 children.
The new five-year agreement, which takes effect on July 1, lasts through the 2028-29 school year, the release said. Teachers will receive a $2,500 salary adjustment in the first year of the agreement and a 4.5 % salary increase each year of the contract. The increase is comparable to other area contracts negotiated within the past two years. Minimal/no changes were made to the current agreement’s parameters on benefits such as healthcare, retirement, and extracurricular stipends.
“This contract, given its terms and length, allows the teachers, administration, and Board to focus our collective efforts on continuing to provide a first-class education program for our students while doing so in a financially responsible manner for the taxpayers of Western Springs,” District 101 Superintendent-designee Sarah Coffey said in the release.
The new agreement also positions the District to remain competitive in attracting and retaining entry-level positions within District 101, officials said.
“We feel that the efforts of the past two contract agreements position ourselves to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers while promoting continuous professional growth and training for our entire staff,” District 101 Board of Education President Caitlin Sendaydiego said. “We appreciate the continued, strong partnership of WSEA to create the best possible district for the children of our community.”
According to the release, the contract was ratified by 97% of the WSEA membership on March 20, and by a unanimous vote of the District 101 Board of Education on April 15.
