No Progress Monday In D300 Contract Talks

No date's been set yet for negotiators for the District 300 Board of Education and its LEAD 300 teachers' union to return to the bargaining table for another round of contract talks.  Both sides agreed a session Monday was a bust. "It's not working," said union President Kolleen Hanetho.  "Not much, if any, progress was made," was the verdict from Board spokesman Joe Stevens.

Negotiations so far appear to be stuck on class sizes.  Based on FEN interviews with negotiators for both sides, there isn't any disagreement they're too large right now.  There appears to be a huge difference on interpreting plans to change things, though.  Stevens said a plan the Board put forward a week ago would add 32 new elementary teachers.  Hanetho, looking at the same plan, estimated it would only add 11 or 12.

The District 300 Board's scheduled to have another closed meeting Monday to figure out what to do.  They held a closed session this Monday, too, so even non-negotiating members could listen in to the evening's bargaining session.