District 65 Teachers' Union Approves New Contract

Members of the District 65 teachers’ union ratified a new contract with the administration by a large majority on Friday, according to union president Jean Left.

Union representatives and district administrators had reached a tentative agreement Aug. 27, . That agreement was shared with teachers on Thursday, Aug. 30, and they voted by secret ballot on Friday, Sept. 7. 

“The new contract agreement improves several areas of the District 65 learning and working environment and also provides avenues for making future improvements in additional areas,” Luft said in a press release.

Teachers and the administration butted heads over the school board’s proposal to cut fine arts positions and decrease teachers’ planning periods so that students had the same amount of time in arts classes. Details of the contract were being kept confidential until it became official, according to District 65 spokesperson Pat Markham. 

Members of the school board will vote on the agreement this Monday, Sept. 10. Supt. Hardy Murphy has praised the agreement in the past.   

"I believe we have negotiated a tentative agreement with the District Educators’ Council that is fair to our teachers, fair to our community, and fair to our students," he said in a press release .