Salaries at District 230 are rising fast with the new contract

You might think that there are richer neighborhoods in Illinois who spend more on their teachers than our local Consolidated High School District 230. However in 2017, D230 spent more than 97.63% of all school districts in Illinois. We may not be the richest area in the state, but we spend like we are.

But, can we have the very most expensive district? We're working on it! In June (2019), the district announced a new 5-year contract guaranteeing an annual salary increase of 3.35%. Is that a lot?

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a number the federal government uses to keep track of the increasing cost of living. The cost of living fluctuates, but raises the educators are getting are double cost of living. Keep in mind that the teacher contract guarantees the teachers and administrators will get higher salaries the longer they stay in the district, and the more degrees they get. (Even if they are just a bad teacher or administrator.) The contract increase is on top of any of those increases.

Isn't the economy just expanding so teachers should get paid more too? The Gross Domestic Product is the way the government measures the productivity of the country. The per-capita version measures the productivity per-person. We can look at the changes year-to-year. This shows how much the economy is growing or shrinking each year. The rate of growth is unpredictable, but District 230 has a contract that guarantees growth that outstrips the economy as a whole. Each year, District 230 will get a higher percentage of the total economy. If it doesn't stop, the school district will eventually be the entire economy.

Can we really afford for the district to continue to grow unchecked year after year after year? The school board president calls this "fiscally responsible." What would cause him to lie like this?