Batavia School Board approves increase in pay for special education staff

The Batavia District 101 School Board voted to approve an increase in pay for paraprofessionals in special education programs on Tuesday, June 25.

The approval includes $1.50/hr rate increases for paraprofessionals in the Developing Opportunities Program, Instructional Learning Program, and self-contained early childhood classrooms.

It also allows the board to contract with the Batavia Educational Support Professionals Association (BESPA), the organization that represents support staff, for up to eight individuals for the upcoming school year. These temporary hires will not be subject to the district’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

These measures were deemed necessary as a temporary solution to mitigate what the memorandum of agreement report labeled, “persistent and excessive vacancies in paraprofessional positions (which) are severely impacting our ability to deliver services to students, particularly those in special education programs.”

New Batavia Board of Education members The complete Board of Education as of April 25, 2023. From left to right: RJ Mathis, Sue Locke, Aaron Kilburg, Raquel Gonzalez-Thomas, Danielle Sligar, Rob Arulandu and Craig Meadows. (Batavia School Board 101 )

According to the report, the wage increases will help make the positions more competitive and appealing during recruitment.

The contract with BESPA ends after one school year. The board is obligated to post job vacancies and continue recruiting candidates in the meantime.

According to the report, further evaluation and negotiations will be necessary to determine long-term solutions for hiring and recruitment.

Danielle Sligar was the only school board member to oppose the pay agreement. No additional comment was given during the meeting.

The board also unanimously approved support for two candidates running unopposed for the board of the Northwestern Illinois Association, which the district uses for physical therapy, vision, hearing, and other special education-related services.

Superintendent Tom Kim was happy to voice support for both candidates: sitting Director of Special Education Fran Eggleston and Steve Wilder, superintendent of Sycamore schools.

“We work closely with (Eggleston). I think she does great work and would be a great representative on this board. (Wilder) will be a great advocate for students and services and he has my endorsement,” Kim said.