New 4-Year Contract Approved for D225 Teachers

On Monday, May 12, the Glenbrook High School District 225 Board of Education approved a new four-year contract agreement with the Glenbrook Education Association (GEA). 

“The Board and Association both believe that the agreement is fair to all stakeholders,” said Board President Skip Shein. “It is important to balance our need to attract and retain quality teachers while remaining fiscally responsible, and this contract accomplishes both.”

The four-year agreement is based upon a calculation that incorporates the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Base salary increases for teachers will be 1.4 percent for the first year of the contract, with a negotiated increase of 1.5 percent in years two, three and four. The overall average increase, including experience (commonly referred to as STEP), is projected to be 3.4 percent for the first year, and then 3.5 percent for the remaining years of the contract. The agreement between the Board and the GEA includes no changes in fringe benefits, including health and dental coverage, other than usual annual premium increases and negotiated plan design modifications.

“We were pleased to continue the decades long tradition of dialogue and collaboration that makes this District special,” said GEA President Matt Whipple. “We believe the agreement will allow us to maintain and enrich the excellence of our shared community.”

The district and the GEA had been discussing a potential contract extension since November 2013 and instead, decided on a new four-year contract that will take effect on May 19, 2014 and expire on June 30, 2018.

“This new contract offers the district financial predictability, and will help to ensure that the district is able to maintain its projected reserves,” said Assistant Superintendent Hillarie Siena.

There are approximately 420 full and part-time employees represented by the GEA. The district employs a total of 849 certified and non-certified professionals including teachers, service professionals, paraprofessional, support staff, and administrators.