South Butler School District and the union representing its 168 teachers are no closer to a contract after both sides met Monday evening for negotiations.

Negotiators for both sides said Tuesday that the meeting failed to produce any consensus on outstanding issues that have left teachers and district officials publicly frustrated with one another.

Brooke Witt, the state union representative for teachers, criticized what she said was an unproductive meeting Monday, calling the district's latest contract proposal “very similar” to its previous offers, She also criticized sidebar negotiations held over the past six weeks, saying the district has used the talks to revive contentious positions that are years old and unlikely to find consensus.

We're certainly frustrated,” Witt said. “That's not negotiating. That's not going to get us a contract.”

The district and teachers have been at loggerheads for about three years, and teachers have been working without a contract since their old deal expired in June of 2014.

Negotiations have stalled amid disagreements over major fiscal issues like wages and health care, as well as smaller matters like the length of in-service work days and whether teachers who work in multiple buildings should be required to attend multiple open house events.

There appeared to be little agreement following Monday's meeting — even over what both parties do or do not agree upon.

Witt said Tuesday that she believes the sides have mostly “bridged the gap” on revisions to health care for teachers and retirees.

But district solicitor Tom Breth disagreed. Breth said he believes there's little chance for the parties to reach an agreement by the end of May — a deadline that marks the start of a new health care plan cycle for the district and represents a fiscal hit of nearly $200,000 if officials can't lock in plan revisions.

“I think we're far apart on all the issues based on what (teachers) are saying at the bargaining table,” Breth said.

Breth called Brooke's critique of the district's bargaining positions “nonsense.”

“The board has consistently made concessions and a good-faith effort to come to an agreement,” he said.

Monday's meeting ended with no further talks scheduled, though Breth said that the district had provided teachers with 12 dates in May on which negotiators would be willing to meet.