Chicago School District Agrees to Minimum 16% Teacher Pay Raise

Chicago’s junk-rated public school district and its teachers union have agreed to a tentative contract that includes a 4% pay increase in the first year, ending months of negotiations.

The proposed agreement would increase costs for Chicago Public Schools by $1.5 billion over four years, Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez said during a press conference Tuesday. Martinez added that expenses will rise by as much as $125 million in the current fiscal year, the first year of the contract. Teachers will get raises of at least 16% over the four years, with possible increases due to inflation.