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Support staff urge higher pay as Wilmette District 39 enters contract talks
Summary
Support staff and paraprofessionals urged the Wilmette School District 39 board to prioritize wage increases during public comment ahead of upcoming contract negotiations, citing low annual pay (under $32,000 and $29,000) and asking administration to ‘reinvest’ in frontline school employees.
Members of Wilmette Public Schools District 39’s support staff urged the Board of Education on April 27 to prioritize higher wages as the district begins contract negotiations with its union.
Cindy Lyke, an office clerk at Wilmette Junior High School, told the board that some district bonuses exceed annual salaries for support workers and asked the board to “consider that some positions in D 39 receive bonuses that are higher than some of our support staff's annual salaries.” She said she has worked at the junior high for nine years and that her annual income is “under $32,000.”
Elizabeth Candido, a kindergarten paraprofessional at Mackenzie Elementary, said last year she earned $29,000 and described support staff as “the foundation” of the district. Candido asked administration “to reinvest, to put more money back into their foundation,” saying that without adequate pay “things fall apart.”
The remarks came during the public‑comment portion of the board meeting; the chair reminded speakers that the board listens to public concerns but will not take immediate action during the comment period. Board members acknowledged the comments but did not take action on compensation during the meeting. The district’s administration and board will enter contract negotiations with union representatives later this year; no negotiation outcomes were announced at the meeting.
Why it matters: Support staff — clerks, paraprofessionals and other frontline employees — provide daily operational and instructional support in schools. Several speakers emphasized the gap between living costs and current pay levels and urged the board to make compensation a priority in bargaining.
What’s next: The board’s consent agenda included a motion referencing upcoming collective negotiations; the board later moved to executive session to discuss personnel and collective negotiations. No changes to pay were adopted at this meeting.
