5:200 - Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal

The School Board delegates authority and responsibility to the Superintendent to manage the terms and conditions for the employment of professional personnel. The Superintendent shall act reasonably and comply with State and federal law as well as any applicable individual employment contract or collective bargaining agreement in effect. The Superintendent is responsible for making dismissal recommendations to the Board consistent with the Board’s goal of having a highly qualified, high performing staff. 

School Year

Teachers shall work according to the school calendar adopted by the Board, which shall have a minimum of 176 student attendance days and a minimum of 180 teacher work days, including teacher institute days. Teachers are not required to work on legal school holidays unless the District has followed applicable State law that allows it to hold school or schedule teachers’ institutes, parent-teacher conferences, or staff development on the third Monday in January (the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.); February 12 (the Birthday of President Abraham Lincoln); the first Monday in March (known as Casimir Pulaski’s birthday); the second Monday in October (Columbus Day); and November 11 (Veterans Day). 

School Day

Teachers are required to work the school day adopted by the Board. Teachers employed for at least four hours per day shall receive a duty-free lunch equivalent to the student lunch period, or 30 minutes, whichever is longer. 

The District accommodates employees who are nursing mothers according to provisions in State and federal law. 

Salary

Teachers shall be paid according to the salaries fixed by the Board, but in no case less than the minimum salary provided by the School Code. Teachers shall be paid at least monthly on a 10- or 12-month basis. 

Assignments and Transfers 

The Superintendent is authorized to make teaching, study hall, extra class duty, and extracurricular assignments. In order of priority, except as otherwise provided by law, assignments shall be made based on the District’s needs and best interests, employee qualifications, and employee desires.

School Social Worker Services Outside of District Employment

School social workers may not provide services outside of their District employment to any student(s) attending school in the District. School social worker has the meaning stated in 105 ILCS 5/14-1.09a.

Dismissal

The District will follow State law when dismissing a teacher. 

Evaluation

The District’s teacher evaluation system will be conducted under the plan developed pursuant to State law. 

On an annual basis, the Superintendent will provide the Board with a written report which outlines the results of the District’s teacher evaluation system.

LEGAL REF.: 29 U.S.C. §218(d), Pub. L. 117-328, Pump for Nursing Mothers Act.

42 U.S.C. §2000gg et seq., Pub. L. 117-328, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

105 ILCS 5/10-19, 5/10-19.05, 5/10-20.65, 5/14-1.09a, 5/22-96, 5/22.4, 5/24-16.5, 5/24-2, 5/24-8, 5/24-9, 5/24-11, 5/24-12, 5/24-21, 5/24A-1 through 24A-20.

820 ILCS 260/, Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act.

23 Ill.Admin.Code Parts 50 (Evaluation of Educator Licensed Employees) and 51 (Dismissal of Tenured Teachers).

Cleveland Bd. of Educ. v. Loudermill, 470 U.S. 532 (1985).

CROSS REF.: 5:120 (Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest), 5:290 (Employment Termination and Suspensions), 6:20 (School Year Calendar and Day)

ADOPTED: November 18, 2024