The Naperville School District 203 teacher’s union has voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike, an action that gives the bargaining team the authority to declare a walkout if they deem it necessary, union officials said in a statement.

Ross Berkley, president of the Naperville Unit Education Association, which represents more than 1,500 teachers and licensed staff for nearly 16,000 district students, said in a statement that a strike is the last thing teachers want to do.

“We’d much rather be in our classrooms with our students than out on the picket line,” Berkley said. “But we’re also willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure our students have the best education possible. If we do go on strike, we also want to reassure parents and our community that we will give plenty of notice before so arrangements for childcare can be made.”

The teacher’s union contract expired on June 30. Last week, several hundred teachers and their supporters rallied before the District 203 school board meeting in support of a fair contract.

In July, the union initiated the public posting process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, which is the first step toward a possible strike.

Students start school Thursday.

In a statement to district families, staff and community members, board President Charles Cush said the district’s latest proposal to the union was made on behalf of the community and its taxpayers.

In the district’s offer, educators would receive an average compounded raise of more than 10% across the first two years of the contract and the district would maintain 85% board-paid health insurance premiums, he said. The starting salary would increase by more than 5% in the first year of the contract, and Naperville teachers would remain among the highest paid in the region, he said.

Educators’ salaries were in the top 3% of large unit districts across the state for 2024, Cush said.

“It is important to note that even the board’s proposal will necessitate budget cuts and/or reductions in staffing, as the proposed increases will outpace both inflation and district revenues,” Cush’s statement said. “However, adoption of the NUEA’s proposal would damage the district’s long-term financial health and put us on an unsustainable fiscal path.”

Bargaining teams will meet again Aug. 19, according to both the union and the school district.

“Our focus is on reaching an agreement that serves students, honors our exceptional educators and upholds the values of the Naperville 203 community,” the district said in a statement. “We deeply appreciate the passion they bring to their work. We believe our most recent offer provides a competitive increase in compensation while protecting the community’s investment in our schools. We are hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon, allowing us to move forward together toward a successful start to the school year.”

Several issues are sticking points with the latest contract, including salary and drastic changes to the structure of school days.

District administration has proposed moving the school day’s start and end times and implementing block scheduling for middle and high school. The changes have not yet been approved.

The teacher’s union also said District 203 is falling behind neighboring districts when offering competitive salary packages, citing Indian Prairie District 204, St. Charles District 303, Wheaton District 200 and Plainfield District 202 among others.

The union also said the district’s finances show more than 300 days of cash on hand, twice the amount recommended by the Illinois State Board of Education.

“We know the district can afford to meet our requests,” Berkley said in a statement. “We would never do anything that would hurt the financial health of the district because ultimately that would hurt our students and our educators. When the district has been in a difficult financial position, we have not taken raises, but we are on solid financial footing now.”

The district and union have been bargaining since February.

The teacher’s union, in its public posting, noted District 203 has one of the best public education experiences in the country, making Naperville a destination for families. Surveys, though, said many of its members report feeling unsupported and undercompensated for increased academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs of students over the past four years.

The volume of new initiatives, new curriculum and procedural changes has left teachers overwhelmed with little indication of meaningful relief, the public posting states.

Union representatives said they has taken into consideration that over the life of the contract about 100 teachers will retire and be replaced by new teachers at a lower salary rate.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/13/naperville-203-teachers-union-strike-authorization-vote/