Unlike the last bargaining session on Feb. 8 that lasted one hour, the South Butler County School Board and teachers union met for six hours on Tuesday while working with a state mediator.

A revised proposal was given to Brooke Witt, the teachers’ Uniserv negotiator, by the school board’s negotiator and solicitor, Tom Breth.

A counter proposal was returned to the board, and a reaction was presented to Witt regarding the counter proposal.

“The board members believe that progress was made on several important issues,” Breth said in a negotiations update on Wednesday.

He said two more bargaining sessions are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 12 and 13.

The teachers announced last week that they would strike on Thursday, March 15 if no contract were reached with the board.

Salary increases, health care, early retirement incentives, length of the school day and tuition reimbursement continue to be the sticking points between the two sides.

Get the latest on this developing story in the Butler Eagle.