Updated on Tuesday, October 6 at 1:30 p.m. CT
MAHOMET—The Mahomet-Seymour CUSD #3 Board of Education approved a new four-year contract Monday for teachers, custodians, bus drivers and other staff.
The contract includes salary increases following a contentious bargaining period between the school district and the Mahomet-Seymour Education Association. The board and union reached an agreement days before a possible strike.
“We appreciate the many hours of thoughtful discussion, hard work, and commitment,” the district said in a statement following the board vote.
“This agreement reflects our shared commitment to supporting our staff, providing high-quality educational opportunities for students, and maintaining the long-term financial stability of our [d]istrict.”
A new teacher in the Mahomet-Seymour school district making the lowest salary under the contract will earn about $44,500. By the fall of 2029, the lowest paid teachers will make about $50,000.
Custodians will make $19.23 an hour this year and $21.68 in 2029.
The contract also requires the district to raise salaries if it has more cash on hand in the third and fourth years of the contract.
The contract begins retroactively at the end of the previous contract in July 2026. It lasts through June 2030.
On Monday, the Board of Education also approved 5 percent salary increases for employees not in the union for 2026-2027.
Updated on Tuesday, September 29 at 4:15 p.m. CT
Mahomet-Seymour teachers and staff members have approved their new contract – officially averting a strike.
The Mahomet-Seymour Education Association could have gone on strike as soon as Tuesday, but the union reached a tentative agreement with the district at the end of last week.
Union members overwhelmingly voted for that agreement Monday, according to MSEA spokesperson Cam Zindars. Now, the Mahomet-Seymour Board of Education has to approve.
Zindars said the union will not disclose the contents of the new contract until the board votes.
The board vote is scheduled for next Monday, according to Mahomet-Seymour CUSD #3 Director of Communications Jessica Bryson.
Updated Tuesday, Sept. 29 with the date of the Board of Education vote.
Updated on Friday, September 25 at 10:30 a.m. CT
The Mahomet-Seymour School District and the Mahomet-Seymour Education Association reached a tentative agreement early Friday morning.
The bargaining session began at 7 p.m. on Thursday and lasted until 3:30 a.m.
“We believe this contract truly prioritizes our students, teachers and staff. We will be supporting the district in their efforts to pass a referendum for our junior high,” Mahomet Seymour Education Association spokesperson Cam Zindars said in a statement.
Zindars said MSEA will not release details on the tentative agreement until union members ratify the contract. The date has not been set yet for the ratification.
Members of the union had voted to authorize a strike, and union leadership could have started the strike as soon as Tuesday.
Teachers and staff in the Mahomet-Seymour school district may go on strike as early as next week.
Administrators and the Mahomet-Seymour Education Association have been unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.
Several union members and supporters attended a school board meeting Monday night and urged the administration to prioritize the well-being of their staff.
Union co-president Ellen Ericson said teacher salaries lag behind those in nearby districts -making it hard to recruit and retain employees.
“The district has the resources to invest in the people who work directly with our students every day,” she added.
“The question is whether it chooses to make that investment.”
Union members filed a notice with a state board last Friday. That means they could be on the picket line as early as next Monday, September 28.
School board member Jeff Bannister emphasized the district needs to act responsibly and ensure the district can continue to serve students.
“I want our teachers, staff, parents, and community members to know that these decisions are not personal,” he said. “They are financial, fiduciary in nature. We can value our teachers, respect their contributions, and still acknowledge the financial realities facing our district.”
The school district said on Facebook that it is planning to meet with the teacher’s union again on Thursday to continue negotiations.
Mahomet-Seymour’s current contract expired in June. The union wants the new contract to reduce healthcare premiums, improve wages, and maintain planning time for teachers.
The district said schools will be forced to cancel classes and extracurricular activities will be put on hold if the union goes on strike.