CARPENTERSVILLE – The District 300 board and its teachers union are at odds over large class sizes and have requested a mediator to close the divide that has stalled contract negotiations.

After announcing a mediator, the school board said in a statement that both parties agree on the need to lower class sizes but can’t start talking about that until LEAD
300, the district’s union, presents salary and benefit demands.

“The school board very much shares this desire to lower class sizes,” the board’s statement says. “But without knowing specifically how much LEAD 300 is seeking in terms of salaries and benefits, the school board cannot determine to what extent the district could afford to do so, if it all.”