RIVER FOREST — River Forest teachers, parents and community members will pack the River Forest School District 90 Board of Education (BOE) meeting tonight. They are calling on the board to reach an agreement on a fair contract. The River Forest Education Association (RFEA) and the BOE recently called in a mediator to help contract negotiations move forward.
“This is about keeping good teachers in our district, so our students can continue to get a high-quality education. We know a majority of our teachers have considered leaving in the last five years due to financial reasons. Our salaries are not competitive with neighboring districts. Couple the stagnant salaries with rising healthcare costs and you have a difficult financial situation,” River Forest Education Association (RFEA) Co-President Cindy Crannell said.
RFEA represents more than 140 teachers and licensed staff serving the nearly 1,300 students who attend school in District 90. The BOE and RFEA began negotiations in April. RFEA’s current contract expired on Fri., Aug. 15, which means there is no contract in place as teachers and students begin the school year.
The main issues are around salary and leave/benefit days.
There is a nationwide teacher shortage, which means there aren’t enough teachers to fill the open positions. If the district doesn’t offer competitive wages and leave time, more of the district’s experienced teachers will leave and fewer new and talented educators will want to teach in River Forest. In addition, teachers use collaboration time to plan high-quality lessons and if they are not allowed that time, students suffer.
“We know our district can afford to meet our requests,” Crannell said. “For years the district has been building a massive reserve on the backs of our teachers. According to its own 2024 Annual Financial Report submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education, District 90 has more than 460 days of cash on hand, the state recommends having just 180 days. This isn’t a question about whether they have the money, it’s about doing the right thing for our teachers and students.”
The BOE meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak Ave., River Forest. Several educators and parents plan to speak during open session. The parties have jointly requested mediation and are working on the selection of a mediator. New bargaining dates will follow.
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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
