By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – District 87 is starting the school year without labor strife as the Bloomington district and teachers union have reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract.

Superintendent Barry Reilly said approximately 400 teachers represented by the Bloomington Education Association will receive a one percent raise the first year and a 1.4 percent increase in each of the final two years.

The announcement of the deal was made almost in passing at last night’s school board meeting, but Reilly said both sides compromised even as Springfield politicians struggle to break a school funding stalemate.

“Negotiations are never an easy thing to go through for either team,” said Reilly.

“But in the end, both groups worked very hard to get this done as soon as they could, even given the circumstances that are going on in Springfield,” Reilly also said.

The School Board and BEA have yet to vote on the contract.

Meantime, the District 87 board voted unanimously to issue $8 million in general obligation bonds to fund several upgrades at Bloomington High School, including an addition to double the space of the band room, remodeled orchestra and chorus rooms, new field turf for Fred Carlton Field, and a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

Reilly said extending the district’s debt means the tax rate won’t go up. Bonds will be paid off in 11 years.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]