PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria Public Schools District 150 Board of Education members have now ratified an earlier announced collective bargaining agreement with union educators and staff in Peoria.
On September 18th, Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780 members themselves ratified the new 3-year deal.
Late Monday, Peoria school board members made the deal final.
Included in the agreement is an historic first year pay increase of 6.5 percent for union teachers.
That extends to 5.5 percent pay increases each of the following two years.
Several thousands dollars in revenue and retention-based bonuses are also included along with more assurances about school working conditions and safety.
Retention bonsus for each year of the contract will be $2,000 while bonsus of $1,000 to $2,000 will be added in the first year of the contract if the district sees an unexpected influx of tax revenue.
The agreement comes after months of negotiations culminated in a strike authority vote from union members and a tense series of late night, federally mediated bargaining sessions in recent weeks.
‘WE SEE THE PROGRESS’ ON SCHOOL SAFETY
PPS 150 District Superintendent Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kehrat on Monday wanted to make sure local educators’ ongoing concern about unruly and violent behavior from students is not being dismissed.
Speaking to additional concerns brought to members of the district’s board of education, Kehrat says she as well as her staff and other school leaders are getting engaged even if it’s just “behind the scenes”.
“It’s not like we’re sitting and not doing anything…the work is just more difficult and I appreciate everyone hanging in there,” she said after hearing educators’ further complaints.
Educators, particularly from Maude A. Sanders Primary School and Sterling Middle School have issued specific complaints about school security.
One local teacher named Susan Blair came forward at Monday’s meeting with a story about how one of her students led an entire classroom to begin chanting “(expletive) Mrs. Blair. Mrs. Blair hates N’s.”
In her remarks, she appeared very unsatisfied by district adminstrator’s response to the purported situation.
“The result was my assistant principal, quote, ‘had a conversation’ with the students about respect,” Blair said to board members. She went on to complain about how students face too much leniency and not enough consequence as a result of uruly or unsafe behavior.
Dr. Kehrat responded, noting the district’s ongoing challenge with achieving proper staffing levels at schools.
As pressure has mounted for solutions in this area, PPS 150 leaders have turned to technology, hoping to add more surveillance cameras to hallways, offices and classroom spaces, perhaps bringing more accountability for students and their actions.
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