The District 203 teachers’ union in Naperville, Illinois, the Naperville Unit Education Association (NUEA), voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike, so the bargaining team has the authority to declare a walkout, the union said in a statement, The Chicago Tribune reports.
Other news sources confirm the union’s action, including ABC-7 and The Daily Herald, and official notices of the offers from both parties were posted to the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board site on August 7.
This dispute is largely about how much and how fast pay should grow over the next four years. The union wants to lock in larger, predictable raises to address inflation and retention, while the board insists on more modest increases tied to tax revenue limits to preserve long-term financial stability. Both sides agree on maintaining generous health benefits and raising extra-duty pay, but philosophical and numerical gaps remain over salary growth and certain working conditions.
The previous contract expired on June 30; both parties are still honoring it while negotiations continue. The first day of school is August 14, and both parties say they want to avoid disruption. The union, however, is prepared for potential strike action.
Key Differences in Salary Proposals
The district contends their offer already exceeds projected revenue growth and is tied to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) CPI, capped at 5%. They argue the NUEA proposal would create a substantial budget deficit and force either higher property taxes or staff cuts. The union’s higher increases are aimed at keeping up with inflation, maintaining competitiveness, and addressing concerns about stagnant real wages.
| School Year | Dist. Offer (Base + Step) | NUEA Offer | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | 4.24% | 7.20% | ~3% |
| 2026–27 | 3.78% | 7.04% | ~3.3% |
| 2027–28 | CPI + 0.5% (min 2%, max 5%) |
6.94% | Variable |
| 2028–29 | CPI + 0.5% (min 2%, max 5%) |
6.76% | Variable |
| 4-Year Compounded | TBD | 31.01% | Significant |
Since the last two years of the board’s offer are based on the Consumer Price Index, we have estimated it at 2.5%, although if inflation spikes, that number will be off. Recent Illinois PTELL CPI values (which is the one the board uses) have been 5.0% in 2022 (max allowed under the cap), 3.4% in 2023, and 2.9% in 2024.Benefits
Both sides agree to maintain 85% Board-paid health insurance for family coverage — one of the highest rates in the region. In addition, the district’s proposal maintains the $48,000 post-retirement health insurance benefit for those hired before July 1, 2025, and the district has also agreed to NUEA’s proposal to add vision coverage to insurance.
When it comes to sick days, however, the union wants an increase from 15 to 20 days for staff with 16 or more years of teaching experience. The district is offering only to maintain the number of sick days at 15, citing already high sick-day balances, especially for teachers with many years of teaching, and the availability of a sick leave bank.
Workload & School Experience
The district has also agreed to changes to schedules across all levels to improve wellness and collaboration time, including:
- More planning minutes for middle and high school teachers
- Increased professional collaboration time
- Extended duty-free lunch at elementary level
Hourly Pay for Extra Duties
The district’s proposal increases all extra-duty hourly rates:
– Professional learning: $29 → $33
– Curriculum/program development: $31 → $36
– Professional preparation/proctoring: $29 → $35
– Summer teaching: $40 → $45
– Summer diagnostic work: $40 → $50
– Internal substitution: $29/period → $46/hour
Financial Health Argument
The district notes that 85% of revenue comes from local property taxes and says, therefore, salary growth must track revenue to maintain solvency. NUEA’s proposal would consume between about 95 and 134 percent of projected tax revenue increases in various years, leaving little for other district needs.
The union’s offer categorically disputes the district’s cost modeling and says past raises have not kept pace with inflation. As a counterargument, the district points to data showing Naperville 203 salaries in the top 3% statewide and annual raises exceeding CPI for more than 10 years.
Summary
Points of Agreement:
– Vision coverage added
– Maintained 85% district-paid insurance
– Increases to hourly rates for extra duties
– Some flexibility in professional collaboration schedules
– Agreement on many contract articles (several already signed)
The main sticking points are:
- Size of salary increases — NUEA seeks raises of about 2–3 percentage points higher than the district is offering in each of the first two years, with continued higher increases thereafter.
- Sick day increase for long-serving staff.
- Workload adjustments — NUEA’s version may differ in specifics, especially in how planning time and instructional minutes are structured.
- The district’s insistence on tying raises to CPI and revenue growth, versus the union’s push for fixed, higher percentage increases.
Naperville Community Unit School District 203 had a total of 16,071 students in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The district includes 22 schools, encompassing elementary, junior high, and high schools, as well as an early childhood center.
