Plainfield School District 202, teachers union agree to new 3-year contract

The Plainfield Community Consolidated School District District 202 and the Association of Plainfield Teachers have agreed to a new three-year contract.

District 202 said in a news release the contract provides raises and improves benefits for the union’s 1,900 certified staff members. The District 202 Board of Education approved the deal at its meeting last Tuesday.

About 60% of the APT members approved the new agreement last week.

“This contract successfully addresses many needs brought forth by our membership,” APT President Dawn Bullock said in a statement. “The collaborative efforts between the Board of Education and our APT negotiation team has allowed us to ratify a contract before the end of the 2021-22 school year.”

District 202 Board President Kevin Kirberg in a statement thanked the APT membership for “their dedication to this process and to providing exceptional service and support to our students and families.”

The contract also will:

• Provide average raises of 4.5% to 5.5% for each year of the contract.
• Add money to the salary schedule every year.
• Include expanded retirement incentives to reward longevity.
• Maintain the district’s traditional “lane/step” salary structure.
• Increase available sick days.
• Include raises for stipends and adds additional clubs.

District 202 serves over 25,000 students from a 64-square-mile area that includes parts of Bolingbrook, Crest Hill, Joliet, Lockport, Naperville, Plainfield, Romeoville and unincorporated areas in Will and Kendall counties.