7 Months In, Summit Hill 161 Teachers & Board Of Education Still Negotiating For Contract

MOKENA, IL — After seven months, Summit Hill District 161 teachers are still working without a contract but continue to negotiate with administration in hopes of avoiding a strike.

American Federation of Teachers Local 604 President Dan Mercer tells Patch that the union representing District 161 teachers hit walls during bargaining in early September. A federal mediator was also called in to assist in negotiations. After progress stalled both Sept. 11 and Sept. 25, the union initiated public posting on Sept. 28, Mercer said.

Under Illinois law, for contract negotiations for educational employees, when the parties have engaged in mediation and failed to reach an agreement, either the school district or the union may initiate public posting. Both parties' most recent offers must be shared with each other and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board within seven days of initiation.

Both parties on Oct. 5 publicly posted their most recent offers. Both proposals are available for public viewing on the Educational Labor Relations Board website as early as Oct. 12.

At the crux of negotiations are issues including pay increases and teacher opportunities to engage in team planning at the lower grades.

"At this time, the teachers remain committed to bargaining in good faith and are hopeful that the board will work with us to reach agreement on critical issues that remain unresolved, including fair pay increases to align with the cost of living and additional opportunities for teachers to engage in team planning in the lower grades to ensure student success," Mercer said. "We urge the board to collaborate with us immediately to avoid any potential interruption to the school year."

Summit Hill District 161 Superintendent Dr. Paul McDermott said the district's board of education "values our teachers and remains committed to reaching a fair, competitive, and financially sustainable agreement that supports both our employees and the long-term strength of our schools.

"Throughout negotiations, the Board has bargained in good faith, made significant movement on compensation and other issues important to our teachers, and participated fully in the federal mediation process," McDermott said.

The board's proposal, McDermott said, includes approximately $4.46 million in additional salary compensation and benefits over four years. The proposal also maintains a 90 percent district contribution toward employee health insurance (BCBSIL) and provides 30 additional minutes of collaborative planning time for elementary teachers.

"District 161 also continues to provide highly competitive teacher compensation, with a reported average teacher salary of $84,379 for the 2025–2026 school year, the highest among the comparable districts reviewed by the District," McDermott said in a statement.

The members of Summit Hill Council of AFT Local 604 are "fighting for a fair contract that keeps up with the cost of living, maintains single and family insurance benefits and provides elementary teachers with the opportunity to meet in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as upper grade teachers currently do, bringing the benefits to student outcomes seen in the upper grades to all of the district’s students," the union wrote in their proposal.

The teachers' current contract expired on June 30. The parties began bargaining on March 4 and reached multiple tentative agreements on language issues but "remained far apart" on salary, health insurance and the union’s proposal to implement Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in the elementary grades, the union said. On May 5, the parties agreed to enter mediation with a Commissioner from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Mediation commenced on May 19. The parties met two more times and on July 14, reached a tentative agreement that the union team agreed to share with members for ratification. On August 21, union members rejected the proposed agreement with 84 percent voting “NO.” The parties resumed mediation on Sept. 11 and Sept. 25. The union team brought proposals for salary, insurance and PLCs, but the board team refused to move from the tentative agreement, the union contends.

The union proposes a 4.25 percent salary increase in 2026-2027, a 4.5 percent increase the next year, a 4.75 percent raise in 2028-9, and then 4.5 percent in 2029-30.

The annual costs of salary increases under the union’s proposal are $841,178 in the current school year, $928,513 in 2027-2028, $1,024,201 in 2028-2029, and $1,016,385 in 2029-2030.

The union also proposes bringing professional learning communities to the elementary grades (K-4) to match the current structure in the upper grades (5-8).

Other points by the union are outlined in their proposal.

McDermott said additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled for Oct. 15 and Oct. 19.

"... we encourage our community to review the information and understand the complete proposals being considered, rather than any single issue in isolation," McDermott said.

"The Board remains ready to continue working with the Association and the federal mediator toward an agreement," McDermott said. "... Our priority is reaching a resolution that recognizes the important work of our teachers, is responsible to our taxpayers, and, above all, protects the educational experience of District 161 students. We believe an agreement is achievable and remain committed to doing the work necessary to reach one."