Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 is moving forward with a renewed sense of partnership and stability following the successful ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement with the Park Ridge Education Association (PREA).
The agreement is a commitment to the more than 4,600 students who walk through our doors every day. Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins praised the collaborative and open nature of the negotiation process.
"Our great staff works tirelessly for our students. One of the best ways to care for them is through open and sincere collective bargaining, where we work together to solve issues and make working conditions the best they can be,” said Dr. Collins. “We all have a stake in the district's financial health, and our process with this past labor contract was data-based and built trust.”
Led by President Erin Breen, PREA represents more than 435 educators, including teachers, nurses, psychologists, and social workers who guide our students' daily learning and well-being. The Board of Education officially voted to pass the PREA agreement at its May 21, 2026, Regular Board meeting.
“This negotiating experience was very positive, and it was a very concerted effort to make it that way. It was very transparent,” said PREA President Erin Breen. “This is the first time in all of my negotiating that we have had a tentative agreement before the start of the school year, so that’s a big deal.”
Negotiation team member and Franklin Teacher Tony Belmonte echoed this sentiment, describing a process built on “mutual respect” and a healthy “give and take” where both sides remained focused on a common goal. As part of the negotiation team, Lincoln Teacher Mike Taglia remarked that the group was “amazed at how transparent it was”, noting that understanding the District’s needs made it easier to align expectations and reach a result that was fair for both sides. Also, as part of the negotiation team, Emerson Teacher Karen Hess added that the success was driven by well-versed subcommittees that allowed for deep, meaningful dialogue, turning the often difficult task of compromise into a truly “positive experience.”
“We have an excellent PREA negotiation team filled with very caring and dedicated professionals who spend a lot of time listening to their colleagues to make sure they really understand the issues before them,” said Dr. Collins. “So when they come into our conversations, we can try to solve these problems together and try to make their situation as good as we possibly can, given the general resources and constraints that we all operate under within a school year.”
Key accomplishments with the PREA agreement:
- Long-Term Stability for Planning: The five-year agreement provides a stable foundation for the District to plan and continue focusing on student learning, and it remains in effect through the 2030-2031 school year.
- Base Salary Increases: For the first three years, teachers will receive base salary increases of 3.75%, 3.25%, and 2.75%, respectively.
- CPI-Tied Increases: For the final two years, base salary increases will be tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), with a floor of 2.25% and a ceiling of 3.75%.
- Voluntary Retirement Incentive Plan: The district offers a voluntary retirement incentive for eligible teachers who give four years' notice, creating a financial win-win by replacing higher salaries while simultaneously providing retirees with an excellent benefit package.
While teachers lead our classrooms, our schools could not run without the essential support of our secretarial, custodial, and maintenance staff. Building on this same spirit of collaboration, the Board also finalized a five-year agreement with the Support Staff Council (SSC) in April 2025. Led by President Brian Mowinski, the SSC represents 76 members across the District.
Key accomplishments with the SSC agreement:
- Extended Five-Year Agreement: This five-year contract ensures operational consistency and a stable environment for support staff through June 30, 2030.
- Significant Year One Wage Increases: For the 2025-2026 school year, Custodians and Maintenance staff received a $2.75 per hour increase, while Administrative and Clerical Assistants received a $4.00 per hour increase.
- CPI-Tied Increases: Following a 2.9% increase in the second year, the final three years tie wage increases to the CPI-U, with a floor of 2.0% and a ceiling of 4.0%.
- Voluntary Retirement Incentive Plan: The district offers a voluntary retirement incentive for eligible employees who provide 4 years' notice, creating a financial win-win by replacing higher salaries while simultaneously providing retirees with an excellent benefit package.
“We're proud to work in a place where we can work together for our students, staff, and community. I want to thank the bargaining teams of the SSC and PREA; they were both fantastic to work with,” said Dr. Collins.
View the 2026-2031 PREA CBA. (Will be linked soon)