Elmhurst Teachers Get Pay Hikes In Union Pact

ELMHURST, IL – The Elmhurst school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year teachers union agreement worth nearly $200 million in salaries alone.

At first, the board was going to vote on the pact without discussing it or providing the public any numbers.

The document remains secret from the public. But Elmhurst School District 205 is likely to release it in the coming days if the past is a guide.

When the board agreement came up at Tuesday's meeting, board President Athena Arvanitis read a prepared statement saying the deal was a "good example of the quality leadership throughout our district."

Arvanitis also said the contract helps the district achieve its goals of "student growth, strong financial stewardship, and maintaining an attractive, high-quality staff."

Then she called for a vote, without allowing a discussion.

As the vote tally started, board member Coutenae Trautmann stopped it and whispered to Arvanitis.

Then Arvanitis asked the board, "Before we call the vote, are there any comments the board would like to make?"

Member Jim Collins spoke up, while the others stayed silent.

"I would like to ask the administration to outline the financial impact to the district," he said. "Teacher salaries alone are more than half of our annual budget."

Superintendent Keisha Campbell asked the board to allow the administration a moment to access the documents.

More than a minute later, Chris Whelton, assistant superintendent of finance, began his response.

This budget year, he said, teachers salaries amounted to $59 million.

Under the contract, the number will rise to $62.3 million in the first year, $65.9 million in the second and $69.1 million in the third, Whelton said.

Teachers will get 3.4 percent pay increases in the first year, 3 percent in the second and 2.9 percent in the third, he said.

The district will see $1 million in savings because of retirements in the first couple of years and $1.6 million in the second, he said.

Whelton said the biggest challenge will be health insurance costs. Last year, the district was slammed with a 37 percent hike.

"We are expecting increases in the health insurance area," he said.

The overall costs of the agreement are expected to rise more than 15 percent over the three years, he said.

Collins asked whether the district could afford the agreement.

Whelton did not give a yes-or-no answer. He said the district would make "every effort" to keep spending in line with income, which is subject to the state's limit on property tax hikes.

He said the district would collaborate through its insurance committee with the teachers union and two other unions to rein in health insurance premiums.

"We have a lot of work to do in the insurance committee," Whelton said.

In the 2023 election, the teachers union endorsed the four winning board candidates – Trautmann, Beth Hosler, Kelly Asseff and Kelly Henry.

Following its custom, the school board did not release the union contract to the public before its vote. The board discloses other agreements, such as the one for bus services, days before votes.

Because of the board's tradition, the public cannot weigh in on the teachers contract before it's approved.

The board has held closed meetings over the last month about the agreement. The current one expires June 30.