District 128 board approves tentative five‑year teachers’ agreement; union to ratify

The Community High School District 128 Board of Education voted April 28 to approve a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the Libertyville High School/Vernon Hills High School Federation of Teachers, Local 504 IFT‑AFT/AFL‑CIO, covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.

The board took the action after a motion by Lisa Hessel and a second by Don Carmichael; a roll‑call vote recorded all members present voting yes and the motion carried. The board noted the union still must complete its ratification process before the agreement becomes final.

The board’s presiding official said the district could not disclose detailed terms at the meeting because union membership was still voting, but confirmed the agreement spans five years. The board thanked district negotiators, members of the union bargaining team and administrators who participated in the process.

Board members who were recorded on the roll call for the motion were Don Carmichael, Cara Drumke, Lisa Hessel, Mitesh Kotwal, Sonal Kulkarni, Jim Batson and Cara Benjamin. The motion passed on a unanimous vote.

No salary tables, specific raises, or implementation dates were disclosed in the public meeting because the union’s internal ratification was still pending. The board said it would release more details after the contract is ratified by union members and all parties finalize the document.

What happens next: the union members will vote on ratification; if ratified, the district will publish the agreement and any new staffing or budgetary impacts that flow from it.