District 186 board of education approves contract ratified earlier by teachers union

The School District 186 board of education Monday unanimously approved a teachers' contract ratified earlier in the evening by the Springfield Education Association.

The three-year deal got the thumbs up from teachers by a vote of 325-176 at Southeast High School.

That reflected a vote of about 42% of the membership, which also includes teaching assistants, security officers, certified school nurses and social workers and psychologists, among others.

Most teachers and other SEA members will get a 5% pay bump for 2022-23 and 2023-24 and 4% for 2024-25.

Bargaining team representatives from the district and SEA shook hands on a tentative deal on Oct. 26.

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"It's a good contract. I'm really proud of everyone who got us here," said board vice president and bargaining team member Micah Miller.

The board was meeting when Superintendent Jennifer Gill and others received word that the agreement had been ratified.

In addition to the pay increases, teachers will get extra compensation when they are required to cover another teacher's class during their preparation period more than twice a week.

For the 2023-24 school year, the district won't raise the employee portion of health insurance premiums provided through CIGNA.

According to a handout provided by the district, the pay bumps this school year will amount to a little over $6 million.

SEA president Aaron Graves said it was nice for members to have a new contract and some financial security.

Union members, he said, still had concerns about safety and security and class sizes. He said that was reflected in the 35% that voted against the deal.

"The union members appreciate the district was willing to negotiate forward movement, but at the same time there are a lot of concerns that still exist," Graves said. "I'm very proud of our team and our membership for really advocating and doing the work they're doing (to make these concerns) recognized.

"I think the union and district can find a way to move forward together on some issues. That would be my hope. We exist under the same premise, for kids and public schools."

Certain parts of the union membership felt that in a three-year deal, some of "these thematic concerns may not get traction," Graves added. "I can't say that I blame them."

Superintendent Jennifer Gill said the board's vote came Monday to get backpay addressed for teachers.

The contract is retroactive to Aug. 17.

"The fact that it's a three-year agreement allows for our educators and our staff across the district to be able to positively look forward into future," Gill said, "and know what their planning needs to be, but in addition, it helps our district budget accordingly as well."

Gill noted the contract includes training trauma-informed practices for teachers, staff and students and de-escalation strategies for teachers.

It was nearly a year ago that Lanphier High School senior Pierre V. Scott Jr. was fatally stabbed outside of the high school. Kamyjah A. Bias, 16, of Springfield was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the case and is being tried as an adult.

The SEA firmly rejected an earlier contract proposal on Aug. 9.

"It came back to us getting down into the nitty gritty and having some very long sessions to make sure we had the best agreement possible," Gill added. "This time it came out much higher in the 'yes,' so we must have done some things that people appreciated."

Previously:Springfield District 186, teachers' union again reach tentative agreement on contract

Jerry Lopian, a 16-year veteran of the district and an A.P. world history/world history teacher at Southeast, said going into the meeting that issues of safety and security, pay and insurance were on his mind.

"When the district put in the metal detectors, that was a huge relief for us," Lopian said. "Now, what comes along with that is what every principal would say, that we need more security guards. It's still a concern of ours.

"I understand the district only has only so much they can dedicate to pay raises. We're looking for a fair contract. To me (the pay terms) are completely acceptable. I'm all the way across the pay scale, so the raise is nice. Who doesn't want more money, but I understand both sides of the coin with the district and the members in the union."

Jeremy Menefee, a behavior coach at Jefferson Middle School, said the vote was more than the topline numbers.

"I think there are some conditional things that need to be addressed," Menefee said. "It's always more than just about pay."

Gill pointed out that the contract will be "a nice legacy" for late board member Mike Zimmers, who passed away on Oct. 5.

Zimmers, who was a teacher and administrator for three-plus decades in the district, was a member of the district's negotiation team.

"His heart and mind are now solidified in this contract," Gill said.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield, IL, District 186 board approves 3-year teachers contract