School District 304 is poised to pass a 1.5 percent tax levy increase and a resolution opposing "non-productive legislative restraints" at its last scheduled meeting of 2012.
In a year filled with drama—from teachers contract negotiations to Coultrap demolition plans to kindergarten enrollment bubbles to "Enrollmentgate" challenges to possible school boundary changes—the Geneva School Board isn't shying away from important topics in its last scheduled meeting of 2012. Among the items on Monday's (Dec. 10, 2012) agenda is approval of a proposed 1.5 percent increase in the tax levy, an overarching school improvement plan and a resolution that will oppose "non-productive legislative restraints." No details on that last item are offered in the recently amended School Board agenda packet as of Friday afternoon but might have something to do with recent rumblings that some state of Illinois legislators want to shift …
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Geneva School District 304 is still putting together the ratified three-year teachers contract. In the meantime, the summary of the contract is posted prominently on the district's newly redesigned homepage.
School Board President Mark Grosso said a few weeks ago that he expected the new three-year teachers contract to be published on the School District website by the end of the month of November, but as of Monday, Dec. 3, it's still in the works. "Unfortunately, it is not yet ready to be posted, but our Human Resources Department is working very hard to complete it as soon as possible," School Distirct 304 Communications Coordinator Kelley Munch said in an e-mail Monday. The Geneva Education Association ratified the agreement in a vote on Nov. 14, and the School Board ratified the agreement on Nov. 20. A strike was averted during an 11th-hour negotiation session in the wee hours of Monday, Nov. 12. The summary of the new three-year contract …
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The contract established with Tuesday night's vote offers across-the-board "step" raises in the second and third years as well as generous retirement incentives, but it also signals a sea change in compensation practices of the past.
At last, it's over. Geneva School District 304 put an end to eight months of contract negotiations Tuesday, when it voted 6-0 to ratify a new three-year agreement with the Geneva Education Association. In a brief opening statement, School Board President Mark Grosso called for the community to come together and "begin mending any strained relationships that may have occurred during this process." The contract summary released Tuesday by the Geneva Board of Education signals fundamental changes in the ways District 304 rewards employees for quality work. Under past contracts, teachers received yearly across-the-board "step" increases, plus cost-of-living increases, plus up to nine "lane" salary increases for completing coursework toward …
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Board members are expected to ratify the three-year teachers contract agreement established in an 11th-hour negotiation session that avoided a teachers strike.
School District 304's Board of Education is expected to ratify a three-year teachers contract after the executive session of a special meeting now set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20. School Board President Mark Grosso said after Monday's regular meeting of the Board of Education that the board would be meeting early next week in special session but he was not sure at that time when the meeting would take place. District 304 sent notice of the meeting around 2:10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16. The Geneva Education Association voted Wednesday to ratify the agreement. If the terms of Monday morning's 11th-hour agreement are accepted, it will mean the end of protracted and stressful negotiations between the School Board and the GEA. Sunday's negotiation …
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12:16 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The things I read on the patch about taxes remind me about our country in general. No control in spending whatsoever. Just raise the taxes because that is the easiest way to do it. Sad. more ›
Teachers union vote garners three-fifths majority it needed for ratification. The School Board votes next.
Residents, educators and School Board members breathed a sigh and smiled Wednesday, when the Kane County Chronicle and Daily Herald posted a note that the Geneva Education Association voted Wednesday to ratify the tentative contract agreed upon in the wee hours of Monday morning. The reports said more than a two-thirds majority of the GEA members voted to ratify the agreement. The Board of Education and the GEA struck a confidentiality agreement that said details of the new three-year contract would not be made public until it was ratified by both parties. School Board President Mark Grosso said after Monday's meeting that District 304 would call a special meeting for that purpose, most likely Monday or Tuesday. The GEA vote almost …
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Special applause for our School Board members, who volunteer their time and talent to serve the community.
As inexplicably as it all started, it appears to be as inexplicably over. And I say “appears” because, when it comes to the Geneva teachers union, nothing surprises me anymore. Though I’m convinced the teachers will ratify the as-yet-undisclosed contract agreement the day this column runs, it wouldn’t surprise me if the union leaders had one more trick up their sleeve. And I keep repeating the word “surprise” because that’s the only word that adequately describes this dynamic from the day it started until late last Monday night. But let’s move on before we unintentionally court any further Swiftian ironies. Since we’re on the subject of surprises, the one pleasant surprise to come out of all this consternation is you—the citizens of Geneva…
6:34 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Nice article, Jeff. The individual teachers, however, do make up the union. That said, I will be nice at conferences. I agree with you ShowMe. The Board is listening to the community and if we feel like the levy should be 0% (which I think will still mean a small increase) instead of the 1.5%, we need to email and let them know. Property values will fall further the more ridiculous our taxes get. more ›
The Geneva Education Association is expected to take a vote on the tentative agreement Wednesday, but the Geneva Board of Education won't meet again until Monday or Tuesday to ratify the agreement, Board President Mark Grosso said.
Community members curious about the terms of a tentative agreement struck Sunday between the Geneva School Board and the Geneva Education Association will have to wait until early next week to find out the details. According to the joint press release issued early Monday morning and signed by School Board President Mark Grosso and GEA President Carol Young, the GEA is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to accept the terms of the agreement. Grosso said after Monday night's School Board meeting that the Board of Education probably won't convene again until a special meeting next week—most likely Monday or Tuesday—to ratify the three-year contract. Both negotiation teams signed a confidentiality agreement saying they would not discuss the…
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8:55 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
Right Sue, parents have nothing to do with $306 million dollars in debt. I am wrong and you are right, because I haven't done my research. New schools, upgrades, busing that has nothing to do with parents demanding the best for their kids. more ›
District 304 will use e-mails, emergency notification system and website to let parents know whether school is a "go" or teachers are going on strike, if Sunday-night negotiations don't come up with a last-minute settlement.
The Geneva teachers union says the School Board's notice that it will not pay teachers' insurance premiums during a strike constitutes a threat and intimidation.
The Geneva Education Asssocation issued a press release Saturday saying it has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Geneva Community Unit District 304, saying the board was trying to intimidate the teachers union from going on strike by saying teachers would have to pay for their full health and dental insurance premiums for every day during a work stoppage. The press release says the School Board "sent a threat directly to teachers in an illegal attempt to coerce/intimidate them from their plans to engage in a lawful strike." According to the release published on the GEA website, the dispute arose Wednesday when teachers received letters from the School Board regarding the health and dental insurance premiums and other items that…
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8:20 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
@Dan- Thank you for answering my question. I do have some questions though about your idea regarding changing from the present teacher pension model to a 403B program. I did a little research on this and this is what I found out...teachers pay 9.4% of their income into the T.R.S. (Teachers' Retirement System), the school districts pay another 1.5% and the state of Illinois pays 6.7%. If they went… more ›
Here's a school-by-school checklist for parents of students planning to attend school, including school hours, entrance points, cafeteria offerings, parking, special classes and more.
DJP
7:56 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
@TommyFortune: This school district has well over 10,000+ teacher resumes on file. Teachers who are disgruntled over no tuition reimbursement and want to "walk" they will be replaced by someone who is more than happy & eager to take their place. more ›