Residents press River Forest board for better communication and fair teacher pay

Several residents used the public-comment period at the River Forest SD 90 Committee of the Whole on Feb. 3 to press trustees for more information about ongoing teacher contract negotiations and to call for changes in district compensation policy. Berit O'Connor, a resident who said she spoke on behalf of more than 1,000 petitioners, told the board that "Teacher salaries have decreased over the last 15 years when adjusted for inflation" and urged trustees to present teachers with a fair offer. Jennifer Staples requested more frequent, pertinent updates from the district about bargaining progress.

Other commenters asked the board to consider administrative pay measures as part of broader compensation adjustments. Maura Zinni, in emailed public comment, urged a temporary administrative salary pay freeze and the elimination of redundant positions to align administrative compensation more closely with teachers'. Kelly Abcarian questioned the district's reserve levels and said that "when District reserves become too high, they stop serving the needs of students," asking trustees for clarification on reserve policy. Board President Kathleen Avalos thanked commenters for their remarks; no formal action on contract terms was taken during the meeting.