District 112, Teachers Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Representatives of the North Shore School District 112 school board and its teachers reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract early Friday during a fifth bargaining session with a federally appointed mediator, according to district and union officials.

The North Shore Education Association, which represents 391 teachers and counselors at District 112, voted last month to authorize a possible strike if an agreement was not reached. The last collective bargaining agreement for teachers in the district expired Aug. 15. Educators have been working under the terms of that agreement for the past seven weeks.

The specifics of the tentative deal would not be available until a final draft of the agreement is completed and approved for release by negotiators.

According to representatives of the board and the union, the primary issues of disagreement focused on whether to tie teacher compensation to the rate of inflation, reimbursement for continuing education and the amount of teacher planning time that administrators would control.

NSSD-112 Board President Bennett Lasko issued a statement saying the board values its teachers and appreciates their dedication and hard work.

"We hope they will be pleased with the terms of the tentative agreement," it said. "We look forward to finalizing the contract as soon as possible so that we can all return our full attention to providing the best education that we can for the children of our community."

Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld said the district is awaiting a attorney review and ratification by the union before it it can provide more details of the agreement.

NSEA President Sheri Henkel said teachers are awaiting a final draft of the contract incorporating the agreement reached in negotiations before it can be sent to union members, who who will have a week to review the deal and ask questions about specifics before a ratification vote.

Henkel told Patch the union worked hard to present its members with a strong contract for the next five years.

"The NSEA is extremely appreciative of the support we had from the community, our friends and our families," she said. "We believe this contract will allow us to best meet the needs of every student in D112 and also help to attract and retain the best teachers to our district. We see this contract as a step towards strengthening our school district and ultimately our community."

If the teachers union gives the deal a thumbs up, it will be presented to the school board for final approval.

Read More:

• North Shore School District 112 Teachers Vote To Authorize Strike
• Strike Authorization Vote Set By District 112 Teachers Union
• District 112 Describes Sticking Points In Teachers Negotiations