Grievance
Arbitration Binding — true
the Association may submit the grievance to final and binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association
Compensation
Ba Min Salary — BA Lane Step 1 salary for 2025-2026
✓
Salary Schedule 2025-2026, Lane BA Step 1: $49,014
Compensation
Base Salary Increase Yr1 — Salary schedule increase year 1 (2025-2026 to 2026-2027)
Comparison of 2025-2026 BA Step 1 ($49,014) to 2026-2027 BA Step 1 ($50,014) reflects approximately 2.0% increase
Compensation
Base Salary Increase Yr2 — Salary schedule increase year 2 (2026-2027 to 2027-2028)
Comparison of 2026-2027 BA Step 1 ($50,014) to 2027-2028 BA Step 1 ($50,777) reflects approximately 1.5% increase
Compensation
Base Salary Increase Yr3 — Increase from 2025-26 to 2026-27 at Step 4: (18.30-17.97)/17.97 = 1.83%
APPENDIX A Step 4 $ 17.97 $ 18.30
Leave
Bereavement Days — Eligible for unpaid leave per Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, 820 ILCS 154/1; paid leave counts toward unpaid entitlement
Employees who are eligible for leave pursuant to and consistent with the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, 820 ILCS 154/1, shall be eligible for the unpaid leave, but their use of paid leave for the death in the immediate family count toward the number of unpaid leave days
Workday
Contract Days Teacher — Full time schedule is 180 days per year
full time schedule is 180 days, 7 hours/day or 1260 hours/year
Insurance
Dental Coverage — true
11.6 Flexible Benefit Plan: employees shall be permitted to pay their share of dental insurance premiums
Grievance
Grievance Steps — Grievance procedure has 4 steps: informal discussion, written grievance to immediate supervisor, written grievance to Superintendent, and arbitration
First step: informal verbal discussion. Second step: written grievance to supervisor. Third step: grievance to Superintendent. Fourth step: arbitration.
Insurance
Health Family Premium — Board pays up to $12,300 per year toward employee/child, employee/spouse or family coverage starting January 2026
Beginning in January 2026, the Board shall pay up to $1,025 per month/$12,300 per year towards employee/child, employee/spouse or family hospitalization and major medical insurance
Insurance
Health Single Premium — Board pays up to $8,100 per year toward single coverage starting January 2026
Beginning in January 2026, the Board shall pay up to $675 per month/$8,100 per year towards single hospitalization and major medical insurance
Compensation
Internal Substitution Grade 68 Yr1 — 6-8 internal substitution rate 2025-2026
Teachers accepting internal substitution, consequently losing the majority of their prep period shall be paid according to the following: Grade Level 6-8 2025-2026 $21.00
Compensation
Internal Substitution Grade 912 Yr1 — 9-12 internal substitution rate 2025-2026
Teachers accepting internal substitution, consequently losing the majority of their prep period shall be paid according to the following: Grade Level 9-12 2025-2026 $21.00
Compensation
Internal Substitution Grade K5 Yr1 — K-5 internal substitution rate 2025-2026
Teachers accepting internal substitution, consequently losing the majority of their prep period shall be paid according to the following: Grade Level K-5 2025-2026 $18.00
Compensation
Lane Advancement Allowed — true
Teachers shall be given educational credit on the salary schedule upon completion of course work that has been pre-approved by the Superintendent. Teachers can use this credit for horizontal movement at any point on the salary schedule.
Other
National Board Certification Stipend — Annual stipend for National Board Certification
The Board agrees to pay $1,000 per year to each teacher who has received the National Board Certification; as long as they are actively employed in a full-time position
Compensation
Off Schedule Bonus Yr1 — Retirement benefit for eligible employees, calculated as 6.0% increase in TRS creditable earnings over prior year
The employee will remain on the salary schedule and will be paid according to the negotiated contract. In June, the District will pay all the employee receiving a retirement benefit an amount to ensure the employee's TRS creditable earnings increases 6.0%
Compensation
Pd Curriculum Rate Yr1 — PD/Curriculum rate 2025-2026
Staff who are APPROVED for PD/Curriculum hours outside the contractual work hours will be compensated at the following schedule: 2025-2026 $30.00
Leave
Personal Days Annual — Personal leave days per year
The Board shall grant each employee two (2) days personal leave at full pay which can be used for personal business that could not be done other than on school time.
Compensation
Retirement Benefit Service Requirement — Minimum 10 years of full-time service required for retirement benefit eligibility
✓
The teacher must have at least 10 years of full-time service as a certified employee in the Highland School District at the time of retirement.
Retirement
Retirement System — TRS
The employee must be eligible to receive a TRS retirement benefit at the time the effective date listed in the irrevocable letter of resignation.
Compensation
Salary Lanes Count — Education lanes: BA, BA+15, BA+30, MA, MA+30, MA+42, MS+42
Salary schedules show columns for BA, BA+15, BA+30, MA, MA+30, MA+42, and MS+42
Compensation
Salary Steps Count — Total number of experience steps on salary schedule
Salary schedules 2025-2026, 2026-2027, 2027-2028 show steps 1 through 26
Leave
Sick Days Annual — 9 month contract: 15 days per year
Each full time employee shall receive sick leave days according to the following schedule: 9 month contract 15 days per year
Leave
Sick Leave Max Days — Maximum accumulation of sick leave
Sick leave days shall accumulate to 360 days. Accumulated sick leave is limited to unused sick leave earned in the Highland District
Compensation
Tutoring Rate Yr1 — Tutoring rate 2025-2026
Staff who are approved to tutor outside of contractual work hours will be compensated at the following schedule: 2025-2026 $21.00
Insurance
Vision Coverage — true
11.6 employees shall be permitted to pay their share of vision care premiums as a nontaxable benefit