GENEVA – If Geneva School District 304 teachers were to strike, they could not be fired – but they could be replaced, officials said.

The Geneva Education Association has filed a 10-day strike notice and is in contract talks with school officials over salary and benefits.

John Brosnan, special counsel to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, said teachers’ right to strike is protected by state law.

“They cannot be fired, but they could be replaced,” Brosnan said. “As far as I know, there is no legal bar to it.”

Brosnan said a common scenario in the private sector is when workers strike and the company just hires other workers to replace them.

“Say I make bulldozers, and my machinists are on strike,” Brosnan said. “I find more machinists and hire replacements.”

One barrier to replacing striking teachers would be if the teachers union was to file an unfair labor practice complaint, he said.

School district attorney Sarah Miller said the school board has not talked about replacing teachers.

“I have not heard of a district that has done that,” Miller said. “The board members are just focused on negotiations.”

GEA President Carol Young said she did not think the public would support the school board if it replaced teachers, even if they were on strike.

Replacing 400 teachers has logistical and practical problems, such as finding a certified teacher in each area of instruction, Brosnan said.

However, the Kane County Regional Office of Education is one resource the district could rely on; it has 10,500 teachers registered as seeking jobs in Kane County.

Regional Superintendent Pat Dal Santo said teachers register with the ROE’s office, and districts access their applications. The process was set up so teachers could make one application to the regional office instead of nine applications to the county’s individual school districts, she said.

Another logistical problem would be replacement teachers crossing a picket line.

Jamie Breseman, a substitute teacher with St. Charles School District 303, said she would not cross a picket line in Geneva. Retired teacher Marjorie Laughton, also a substitute in D-303, echoed her sentiments.

“I don’t know much about the Geneva situation, but if I came in during a strike, I would not be supportive of my colleagues,” Laughton said. “I don’t think [school officials] would get the people to do it. I just don’t.”