District 203, Teachers Approve New 4-Year Contract

NAPERVILLE, IL — After months of negotiations that included the possibility of a strike, Naperville Community Unit School District 203 board members approved a new four-year contract Tuesday evening with the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA).

NUEA members voted to approve the contract Sept. 1 after a tentative contract agreement was approved by both parties in late August.

“I am grateful for all the work that went into this agreement - especially to the members of the NUEA bargaining team and the Naperville 203 administration for their commitment to getting an agreement done,” District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said in an update on the District 203 website.

Bridges added, “The Naperville 203 community is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of educators working together for what is best for our students.”

The new contract includes a pay raise for teachers that is retroactive to the start of the 2021-22 school year. Wage increases for District 203 teachers will be based on increases in the consumer price index. The pay increase schedule is as follows:

• Year One (2021-22): 3.64 percent
• Year Two (2022-23): 2.92 percent
• Years Three and Four (2023-2025): average base increases linked to 67 percent of consumer price index, along with regular step increases

Effective immediately through June 30, 2025, the contract also includes the following provisions for NUEA members:

• The approval of 20 additional accumulated sick days to be used for "birth, adoption, placement for adoption, and the acceptance of a child in need of foster care," in addition to the 30 days required by law
• The approval of 20 sick days for the 2021-22 school year instead of 15
• A total of 365 sick days to be accumulated during their career, five more than the previous total of 360
• A one-time $1,000 bonus based on full-time employment equivalency, to be issued during the 2021-22 school year

"This has been a long process, and we are pleased that we were able to arrive at a fair agreement that provides some stability for everyone over the next four years.,” NUEA President Dan Iverson said in a statement.