New Teachers Contract Approved by District 115 Board

Lake Forest High School District 115 teachers will get raises every year until at least 2019 after a contract between the Lake Forest Education Association and administration was approved by the district’s board of education this week.

The agreement will replace the final year of the existing contract (2015-16) with a new 1-year contract and automatically renew for another three years, according to a district news release. It’s the first time in at least 15 years an agreement has been reached before the termination of an existing contract.

The contract includes a 3.8 percent average increase for teachers in its first year and a 4.4 percent average increase in year two. Increases for the third and fourth year are based on a funding formula tied to the CPI.

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“The newly endorsed contract allows LFHS teachers’ compensation to remain competitive with similar high schools and maintains the district’s financial health,” according to the release - which also indicated adding more time in the school day will take place beginning in 2016-17.

“The anticipated outcome will be the design of a new schedule with the goals of raising achievement by ensuring students have expanded learning time and more individualized instruction, enriching educational offerings by broadening the curriculum and increasing choice and opportunity, and enhancing teaching practice and student growth by providing time for analysis of student data, personalized feedback, and individualized support.”

Board of Education President Reese Marcusson - “We have come together and agreed on a new contract before the expiration of the current contract, ensuring no loss of instructional time,” said Reese Marcusson, president of the board of education. “This new contract maintains the district’s financial health and is fiscally responsible to the community. Importantly, it has provisions to enhance student learning and allows our teachers’ compensation to remain competitive in today’s marketplace.”