As the clock ticks toward Aug. 25, the scheduled start of classes in the South Butler School District, the school board and South Butler Education Association must look beyond the current contract stalemate and reflect on the impact that a teachers strike would have on the district, both short-term and long-term.

Both sides also need to ask themselves why formal contract negotiations have been so few and far between, despite the teachers having worked all last year under terms of the previous contract, which expired June 30, 2003, and the impending start of another year, also without a labor contract in place.

From the school district perspective, it is the nine school board members and the district's superintendent, not the board's non-member chief negotiator, who must ultimately answer for how much farther the situation deteriorates. From the union's perspective, it is the South Butler Education officers and membership, not the Pennsylvania State Education Association, who also must answer for what direction the dispute takes in coming days.

Beyond that, both sides must be realistic about what impact a strike would have while it is in progress and after it is settled. The potential bitterness that this dispute could entail would seem to portend morale problems that could last well into the future.

South Butler board members should touch base with officials of districts where bitter labor disputes have had long-term negative impacts and ask whether, if those other officials had foreseen that pending fallout, would have done things differently prior to their strikes. Likewise, the South Butler teachers should give thought to their future standing with the community if the education of students, and parents' schedules, are disrupted because teachers are standing on a picket line instead of teaching.

Meanwhile, there are decisions to be made about extracurricular activities, such as football. If the teachers opt to strike, the football program, formal cheerleading and band practice, and any other fall activities should be suspended until the dispute is resolved.

Suspension of those activities would inflict added pressure on both sides to come to a quicker settlement.

It would be a shame, for example, if a football player hoping for a college football scholarship would lose that opportunity because responsible adults in positions of authority saw fit to impose a roadblock in regard to that player's future.

People on both sides of the bargaining table should put themselves in the place of the young lives their stances are affecting.

If the situation evolves into a prolonged strike scenario, it would affect seniors' graduation and summer or permanent work opportunities. For families, a strike could scuttle vacation schedules and arrangements, as well as summer activities in which the young people - or the young people and their families - participate.

Meanwhile, teachers who have other jobs during the summer could have that employment disrupted or negated if the school year doesn't end on time.

But no one outside the school district should try to influence either side in regard to the specifics of a contract. Those details are for the board and teachers union to work out by themselves.

However, parents have a right to demand that both sides sit down at the bargaining table with an attitude of compromise, rather than hardheadedness.

If there is one criticism worthy of being leveled, it is that the board removed pay retroactivity for the 2003-04 school year in a show-of-force tactic prior to adopting the district's 2004-05 budget. Everything should have remained a basis for bargaining with the board and teachers still so far from a settlement.

The board's stance could unnecessarily prolong the dispute.

The key points of contention are wages and teacher contributions toward health-care benefits.

South Butler is not the Deer Lakes School District, North Allegheny School District, Mars School District or any other. It has its own unique features, challenges and resources.

Both sides must acknowledge that as they sit down to negotiate, just as they must acknowledge that the best contract is one about which neither side is totally happy.

Although both sides confirm that there have been informal contacts, those contacts have been far from acceptable, especially with less than a month before the scheduled start of classes.

The school board has scheduled a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the large-group-instruction room at Knoch Middle School. After regular school business, an executive session is planned to discuss the contract situation.

It is to be hoped that session plants the seed for a settlement. If it doesn't, a long, unhappy fall could be in the offing for South Butler, producing animosities that could last well beyond 2004-05.

That would be unfortunate, and outside the strong educational commitment for which South Butler is generally recognized.

- J.R.K.