Tentative Contract Agreement Reached By Teachers, District 203

NAPERVILLE, IL — A teachers' strike that once seemed imminent has been averted now that Naperville District 203 has reached a tentative agreement with Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) after a meeting Monday.

Both parties released the following joint statement in a news release Monday evening:

"We are pleased to announce that at today’s mediation session the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education and the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA) reached a tentative agreement on a multi-year contract. Additional information regarding the agreement will be shared pending ratification by the NUEA membership and approval by the Board of Education. We thank everyone for their hard work and dedication during this process."

Contract negotiations, which had been underway for months, were delayed amid ongoing disagreements over compensation and family leave. On Aug. 9, District 203 announced that the NUEA had filed a 10-day notice of an intent to strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

Just days before school started, though, NUEA President Dan Iverson said he was "encouraged" after both parties reached an agreement about the topic of family leave. Additional details about the tentative contract's terms are expected to be released in the coming days after the multi-year agreement has been ratified by both groups.

School started Aug. 19 for Naperville School District 203 students.