Schools
Unexpected Salary Hikes At Lyons Township High School
An unusually large number of teachers "changed lanes," meaning pay raises.
LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School saw an unexpected increase in salary costs for teachers last school year.
More teachers than usual got raises because of the additional education they received. Under the union contract, they are guaranteed pay bumps in return for the education, known in school jargon as "changing lanes."
This last school year, 71 teachers changed lanes. The budget impact was $500,000, which amounts to an average of about $7,000 per teacher.
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On Monday, the school board amended the budget to include the $500,000.
"This is not typical," said Brian Stachacz, the school's top finance official. "Typically, we would have probably maybe 15 (teachers)."
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Ed Piotrowski, the human resources director, said he didn't expect such an increase next school year.
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