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Naperville 203 Talks Enter Federal Mediation as Teachers Eye Aug. 25 Strike

Talks hinge on compensation versus schedule changes, with opposing claims about what the district can afford.

An overflow room was set up for teachers attending the Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, meeting of the Naperville District 203 School Board. (Michelle Mullins/Naperville Sun)
Naperville School District 203 teachers, wearing red for education, packed the Monday night school board meeting. They were there to protest the district's failure to negotiate a new contract with the teachers union despite collective bargaining sessions having started in February. (Michelle Mullins)
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Overview

  • The teachers union filed an intent-to-strike after authorizing a walkout, setting Aug. 25 as the earliest date classes could be disrupted.
  • A federal mediator is convening bargaining sessions from Tuesday through Thursday as negotiations continue after the contract expired June 30.
  • District 203 touts a “strong and competitive” offer with year-one and year-two increases of 4.9% and 4.94%, producing a compounded raise above 10% plus continued health benefits.
  • The union seeks a 3.9% base increase in year one, 3.75% in year two, then CPI-linked raises in years three and four with a 3% floor and 5% cap, and says the district’s numbers include step movement and flat-dollar base bumps.
  • Finances and workload remain key disputes, with the board warning the union plan could force cuts or a tax hike as the union cites sizable reserves, roughly $37 million in abatements and refunds, and concerns over proposed schedule changes such as longer elementary days and block scheduling.