District 203 and Naperville Education Support Professionals Association are in the middle of bargaining negotiations after their previous contract expired on June 30.

NESPA membership includes about 450 employees across District 203, and is made up of secretarial staff, health technicians, assistants, aides, campus supervisors and computer support associates, among other positions.

“The Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education and the Naperville Educational Support Professionals Association have been working collaboratively since the spring in an ongoing effort to reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” representatives of District 203 and NESPA told the Central Times in a joint-statement.

The contract was last negotiated in 2021, resulting in increased starting wages across the board. Current employee pay rates also increased by $1 an hour in fiscal year 2022, 2023 and 2024, according to the 2021-2024 collective bargaining agreement. 

NESPA stakeholders, students, community members and other district employees have spoken at Board of Education meetings about ongoing negotiations.

“Last negotiation cycle, I told you that I couldn’t afford my rent, and while you can’t do anything about the cost of rent, you could pay us a living wage so we could afford our bills,” said Cait Swinford, a special education assistant at Naperville Central, at the Oct. 7 Board of Education meeting.

NESPA advocates also attended the Sept. 9 and Sept. 23 Board of Education meetings.

“We remain optimistic about the ongoing discussions and are committed to continuing the negotiation process in good faith, with the goal of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement in the near future,” the District and NESPA said in their statement. “Both sides are dedicated to keeping the best interests of our school community at the forefront of this process.”