A joint announcement from the District 58 Board and DG Educational Support Personnel
The Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Board of Education approved a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the Downers Grove Educational Support Personnel (DGESP) association during the Board’s regular meeting on Monday, June 13.
“The DGESP team members and administrators worked collaboratively to create a new contract that offers competitive raises and benefits, and addresses several needs that were raised by the DGESP leadership during negotiations. We are proud of what we were able to accomplish together, and appreciate the strong support by the Board of Education for dedicating funding to assist us in reaching our goal,” said Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Dr. Jayne Yudzentis.
The DGESP ratified the contract on June 7, 2022. The DGESP includes District 58’s school secretaries and instructional assistants, as well as some central office support staff.
The new DGESP contract offers:
- More competitive starting salaries, increasing from $14.50 to $16.00 per hour in year 1
- An increased contribution by the Board of Education toward instructional assistant health insurance premiums, as well as a secretarial health insurance cost shift with an increased contribution by secretaries that maintains their level of benefits.
- A $1,200 stipend for instructional assistants who work in specialized programs, such as preschool, DLP, RISE and BEST
- Employee retirement benefit retention, while also protecting the District from additional costs associated with Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) penalties.