Union SD 81 teachers agree to 3-year deal
BY SUSAN DEMAR LAFFERTY slafferty@southtownstar.com July 31, 2012 4:56PM
Tim Baldermann
Updated: September 2, 2012 6:10AM
Teachers in Union School District 81 have a new three-year contract that gives them a 1 percent raise this year and 2 percent in the two subsequent years.
The agreement was ratified by the 12-member teachers union and the school board last week, Supt. Tim Baldermann said.
“It’s a great way to start the school year,” he said.
Teachers also were given increases in longevity steps and stipends, he said. The raises will cost the district $15,000 the first year, and $20,000 more in each of the following two years, Baldermann said.
The one-school district serves about 100 students from New Lenox and Joliet.
Negotiations were not adversarial, said Baldermann, who was appointed superintendent July 1, after the retirement of Barb Littlejohn.
“The teachers have been in over the summer, working on a new curriculum. I feel very positive about the first year,” said Baldermann, who also is New Lenox’s mayor.
