District 211 Teachers Announce Strike Intent Due To Board's 'Stalling'

PALATINE, IL — After six months of bargaining, the District 211 Teachers Union said its members have approved a potential strike if a resolution with the Township High School District 211 Board of Education isn't reached by June 30.

According to the Illinois Federation of Teachers, 99 percent of union members are on board for the strike following another "unproductive" mediation session with the school board. A current contract for the teachers expires at the end of June.

Anna Klimkowicz, District 211 Board of Education president, told Patch the Board "will continue to negotiate in good faith with the Union."

District 211 is the largest high school district in Illinois. It serves the northwest suburbs of Chicago communities of Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine and Schaumburg, along with portions of Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Roselle, Rolling Meadows, Streamwood and South Barrington.

“The educators of District 211 are asking for a fair contract and a commitment from our Board of Education to use the resources we have to invest in our students and their future," said Anita Lee, a social studies teacher at Palatine High School and the union's president. "Our union and the Board have always collaborated to ensure that our district is financially responsible. As a result, our district has an enormous surplus, but that money doesn’t do our students any good sitting in a bank account."

Lee called the union's proposal "more than affordable." She added that the District 211 School Board wants "to make needless cuts that will have detrimental, long-term effects on our schools, students, and property values.”

Erin Holmes, director of communications for District 211, released the following statement to Patch:

"District 211 administration and our Board of Education are engaging in good faith negotiations with the union to reach a deal that acknowledges and values the contributions of our teachers, our dedication to students and is fiscally responsible to our community. A federal mediator has been assisting with the process, and we remain committed to collaboratively arriving at a competitive contract. The current contract is in place until June 30, 2022; employees cannot strike during an active contract."

The next mediation session between the two sides is scheduled for April 14.