Bilek v. BD. OF EDUC. OF BERKELEY SCH. DIST.

Plaintiffs were tenured elementary school teachers in defendant School District No. 87, Cook County, Illinois. On March 15, 1976, defendant dismissed 41 teachers, including plaintiffs, because of declining enrollments. Within one calendar year thereafter, defendant hired a number of additional teachers; some were untenured. The additional teachers were hired to fill vacancies that had occurred during the year as the result of deaths, resignations, etc. As tenured teachers, plaintiffs insisted that they should have been given priority to fill the vacancies. When defendant refused, plaintiffs…