The Mercer County School District and the union that represents its teachers will meet with a mediator for the first time this week as contract negotiations continue between the two sides.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, where both sides will meet with a neutral third party separately in hopes of reaching a deal. The Mercer County Education Association (MCEA) filed for mediation last month.
MCEA spokesperson Monty Smith spoke to WRMJ the day after the union filed for mediation last month.
Mercer County School District teachers are still without a contract for the upcoming school year after the previous contract expired on June 30. With the deal expired, teachers will be paid the previous year’s salary until a new deal is signed. If a new deal is reached during the 2025-26 school year that includes pay raises, staff would be back paid the money they missed out on dating back to the start of the school year.
For a teachers’ union to legally strike in Illinois, mediation must be attempted and deemed unsuccessful, the union must have an expired contract, and the union must issue the school district a 10-day formal notice of intent to strike.
MCEA claims the Mercer County School District offers less salary potential for teachers than the neighboring Rockridge and Sherrard School Districts and the lowest compensation in the Regional Office of Education (ROE) District #33, which includes United, West Central, Monmouth-Roseville, Galesburg, ROWVA, Williamsfield, Knoxville and Abingdon-Avon. The union is looking specifically for pay increases for veteran teachers.
The first day of school in the Mercer County School District is August 14.