Federal mediation between the Peoria Federation of Teachers and Peoria Public Schools failed to produce a new teacher's contract on day one of negotiations.
In a statement, school board president Martha Ross said the current proposal calls for a salary increase that is "among the highest in the state." She said the union wants to match teacher salaries to the rate of core inflation.
The teacher's union said money is a key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations, along with "district-wide improvements for teachers and students."
The union is claiming the district concealed tens of millions of additional dollars from corporate personal property replacement taxes during its most recent budget presentation.
The district has not commented on that allegation, but Ross said the parties made progress towards a "fair and reasonable settlement" at Tuesday's session.
At Monday's school board meeting, superintendent Dr. Sharon Kherat said bargaining may take several meetings, but she's hopeful of a positive outcome.
Contract negotiations began on March 29. The teacher's union requested federal mediation after nineteen bargaining sessions failed to secure a new contract with the district. Peoria Public Schools teachers are currently working under an expired contract.
Negotiations are scheduled to continue September 7.
