Springfield school teachers tonight rejected a contract offer that appears to include raises of nearly 14 percent over two years for some teachers.
Under the rejected proposal, the lowest base salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree would be $40,776 in the 2020-21 school year, up from $35,869 in the contract that expired in August, according to a summary of the contract proposal obtained by Illinois Times. A teacher who holds a master’s degree and has at least 26 years of experience would earn $86,278 in the 2020-21 school year, up from the current $80,940 for a teacher with a master’s degree who has at least 25 years of experience.
According to WICS television, more than 700 votes were cast by union members, with 300 voting to accept the contract. Union leadership could not immediately be reached for comment.
The school board canceled a special meeting set for tomorrow night that had been scheduled in anticipation of the contract being accepted by teachers.
“I think there were probably teachers out there who would like this resolved,” school board president Mike Zimmers said when asked what conclusions he drew from the split union vote. “We want the best for teachers. We know they deserve raises.” But the district has limited financial resources, he said. He added that he expects contract negotiations to resume on Thursday.
Zimmers and fellow board member Scott McFarland confirmed that raises, percentage-wise, would have been higher for beginning teachers under the proposed deal than for the district’s most experienced educators. The $40,776 base salary for a starting teacher in the 2020-21 school year that was contained in the rejected deal was offered in light of state legislation that mandates a minimum teacher salary of that level in 2025, McFarland and Zimmers said.
“We’re trying to get ahead of it,” Zimmers said.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2019.
