Crystal Lake District 47, teachers approve contract with ‘new money’ for salaries at 19.5% over four years

After a year of negotiations, Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47 and its teachers union have approved a new contract and avoided a strike.

The school district and the union that represents District 47 teachers, the Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association, reached a tentative agreement last month. CLETA ratified the agreement with a nearly 70% majority vote on Oct. 10. The school board unanimously approved the agreement Monday.

The contract will run from until the end of the school year in 2029 and includes what the district called “new money added to the salary schedule totaling at least 19.5% over the next four years.” Other changes include up to 3% to Teachers Retirement System contributions starting at 1% with 10 years of seniority, increased benefits, increased plan time, the hiring of counselors at a higher level on the salary schedule and a $250 stipend per trimester for English as a second language and bilingual teachers, according to a District 47 news release.

“District 47 has an incredible teaching staff that is dedicated to our students, and we are happy to have reached an agreement that will continue to attract and retain staff of this caliber,” District 47 board President Tim Mahaffy said in news release. “This contract exemplifies our commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with our mission to provide the best educational opportunities for all students, ensuring that we can continue to deliver a high-quality education for years to come.”

The school district and the union have been in negotiations for a new contract since October 2023. A federal mediator was brought on in June to help the sides hammer out an agreement, and the teachers have been working without a contract since the start of the school year.

The teachers union gained “unparalleled momentum” during negotiations and felt immense support from the community; in the past year, the union added over 200 new members, teacher and CLETA member Jacqueline Murk said.

“Our union is stronger than ever before, and CLETA is going to continue advocating for our educators, schools and families,” Sanchez said in an Illinois Education Association news release. “We love our students and know that strong schools are the foundation of strong communities. We are so grateful for the tremendous amount of support and love from our students, families and our community. We couldn’t have done this without their help.”

There are 670 educators in the CLETA bargaining unit serving the more than 7,000 students who attend District 47 schools, according to the IEA news release, of which CLETA is a member.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction. When surveyed, a majority of our teachers said they have considered leaving the district. They were citing low pay, expensive family insurance costs and a lack of support regarding safety for students and staff,” CLETA President Jenny Sanchez said in the IEA release. “This new contract addresses a lot of our concerns, but we also recognize there is still more work to be done to truly make Crystal Lake a destination district for educators.”

Tensions still may linger as CLETA filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the district last month – before the contract dispute was settled and after the union contemplating a strike – claiming that the district is using outside firms to bring in temporary employees, “in direct violation of the current CLETA contract and the Illinois School Code,” according to a new release from the IEA. So far, the district has spent more than $1.8 million on these firms, according to the IEA.