Schools

OPEN LETTER: D86 Board Member Clarifies Teacher Compensation Details

Community members encouraged to review current teachers' compensation during contract negotiations.


By EDWARD A. CORCORAN

As vice-president of the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education and chairman of its Finance Committee, I have been a vocal advocate for transparency and responsibility to our students and our taxpayers. I respect our wonderful teaching and administrative staff.

We are approaching budgeting for the 2014-2015 school year and a very important contract negotiation with the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association union. Employee compensation (collectively) is the district’s single largest expense and comprises more than 70 percent of educational expenses. Our average teacher’s total compensation is over $110,000 per person, with total costs over $45M annually.

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District 86 is fortunate to have great teachers and wonderful students with highly supportive families; altogether, this chemistry contributes to the excellent schools we have all come to value and expect. As a board member, parent and alumnus, I hope to see our great teachers and their union secure a multi-year contract agreement that is fair to students, taxpayers and the teachers alike.

At our April 7 board meeting, as part of the Finance Committee report, we shared information about compensation trends in District 86 over the past ten years comparing total compensation to the consumer price index, noting that the increases have been greater than CPI.

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Some of our teachers asked for more clarification and at our meeting on April 21. We provided detailed information about the various components that comprise total compensation, including base salary, stipends, hourly pay, pension and health benefits, as well an overview of the complex “step and lane” salary schedule that ties individual teachers’ compensation levels to their employment tenure and additional educational credentials gained. Accumulated sick days and last year’s holiday on insurance payments were not factored into the presentation or compensation.

It is my hope that all District 86 stakeholders will benefit from these insights and information, which along with other financial data on current salaries, benefits and a copy of the district’s current contract with the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association are available for public review under the “Transparency” section on the District 86 website.

I encourage all members of our community to review this information, so that they too can be more fully informed about the decisions that face the board, particularly during the budgeting and negotiations process. Comments and questions can be directed to the entire Board of Education via email at BOE@district86.org.




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