Within a week of class starting, teachers union and D-186 have a contract

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Springfield Public Schools and the Springfield Education Association have made a two-year contract.

The decision comes just two days before District 186 teachers head back to school.

WTAX News radio, a WAND news gathering partner, reports there will be a four percent raise in the new school year and a 3.5 percent raise in 2026-2027.

The vote was 5-0 at a special board meeting Tuesday night. WTAX reports board members Kristin Barnett and president Erica Austin were absent. SEA president Aaron Graves said the union vote was 250-125.

Superintendent Jennifer Gill told WTAX, "Every teacher gets their first paycheck for the new school year with the new salaries on the 28-th of August, so this gives our payroll department plenty of time to get that plugged in and processed, so we can cut those checks to all the employees, and it’s going to represent their new pay on their very first paycheck for the school year.”

Gill said a new teacher in District 186 will earn more than $50,000 a year.

There is also a pay bump in the future for teachers whose assignments do not meet class size standards set out in the contract, WTAX said.

Class starts in District 186 on Monday, Aug 18.