GENEVA, IL – Teachers within Geneva School District 304 could see their salary increase by $9,500 to nearly $13,000 under the most recent four-year contract offer from the Board of Education, school board officials said in a statement Thursday. The Board of Education and Geneva Education Association will meet Thursday night – days after the union, which represents the 450 teachers within the school district – declared a strike. District 304 schools have been closed since Tuesday.
Ahead of that meeting, District 304 officials have shared on its website the projected salary increases for each full-time teacher under the Board’s proposal. The proposal, District 304 officials said, was delivered to the GEA during the last negotiation on Dec. 4. That meeting ended early Tuesday when the union decided to call a strike.
The proposal provides more than $5.5 million or a 17.69 percent increase in new money for teacher compensation as calculated across all staff member increases, according to a District 304 news release. The increases range from $9,567 and $12,949 for a full-time teacher who is on the salary schedule over the life of the proposed four-year contract.
“Teacher compensation, particularly salaries, continue to be the focus of negotiations,” according to the statement from the school board. “By law, salaries for public employees, including public school teachers, administrators and staff, is considered public information. By law, salaries for Geneva 304 teachers and administrators are posted to the District's website annually.
In response to community and staff interest in learning more about the impact of the Board’s most recent offer on each teacher, the Board also is posting the projected salary increases each full-time teacher would experience under the Board’s proposal. This posting shows the salary increase under the Board’s proposal for each teacher, for each year of the four-year contract offer. Staff members would be eligible to receive compensation in addition to these projections for educational advancement.”
The teacher's union is seeking a step and lane schedule for teachers, which is a model that helps determine their salary and raises based on their education level and years of experience.
The strike comes after months of disagreements regarding District 304 teacher contracts. Contract talks began on February 15, and the District 304 teachers started the school year without a contract.
"From the very beginning of these negotiations our association has maintained a commitment to reach an agreement that puts the district's 5,800 students first; promotes a high quality education; is fair for the teachers; and is fiscally responsible to the community of Geneva," Kevin Gannon said in October. "We have been working to find common ground with the school board. We know the district has the financial ability to pay our teachers wages that are competitive with other districts of our caliber."
Gannon said early Tuesday the union's decision to strike was a difficult one to make. But the union said the board's salary model "continues to be an untested model that no other school district in Kane County uses to compensate its educators," he said.
"Our members and the community have been very clear that a traditional step and lane salary schedule that determines salary based on experience and education is important to them," Gannon said. "The board's latest offer does not meet that expectation."
"Our educators want nothing more than to be in their classrooms instead of out on a picket line. This is our last resort," Gannon said.
District 304 school officials said they expected the GEO to provide a response or counter-proposal during Thursday’s negotiating session.
“To date, the GEA’s proposals have not detailed the potential financial impact that they would have on the District’s budgets, projections or on the taxpayers,” according to the statement.
“We are hopeful that tonight’s session will either achieve or move us closer toward a fair and fiscally responsible contract agreement that is in the best interest of all District 304 stakeholders — students, parents and families, teachers, staff and the taxpayers who fund our public schools,” according to the statement from the school board.
Meanwhile, Geneva teachers and students remain off from school. And teachers could be seen carrying signs and continuing to rally for a fair contract. Below are some photos shared via the Geneva Education Assocaition Facebook page over the past week.
PHOTO VIA SHUTTERSTOCK
