The South Butler School District must step up the pace of trying to resolve a contract stalemate that on June 1 prompted the district's teachers to authorize a strike that presumably would begin at or near the beginning of the upcoming school year.

It's comes as no surprise that the stalemate has taken this negative turn; district teachers have been working without a contract for 11 months. Contract negotiations have been going on for 18 months.

Stumbling blocks to a settlement are wages, health-care contributions, a 10-minute addition to each teacher's workday plus the addition of two additional in-service days each year.

A positive development related to the stalemate occurred Wednesday evening when a school board meeting attracted a standing-room-only crowd of district residents concerned about the prospect of a strike. District residents must remain interested in the situation this summer and continue to press for the two sides to engage in productive talks. Both sides must acknowledge that the best contract is one in which neither side gets everything it wants.

That means there must be give-and-take in upcoming talks.

While all of the support at Wednesday's session was directed toward the teachers, the school board has the responsibility of keeping district finances in line. District residents should respect the board for keeping taxpayers in mind as it negotiates with the teachers.

But compromise is the basis for all contract settlements, and in South Butler, over the past year and a half, there hasn't been enough of it - and the blame for that rests with both sides.

The board has publicly expressed willingness to negotiate over the summer in an attempt to work out a five-year pact that would avoid a strike. That is a positive sign.

However, it was troubling that as of Wednesday's meeting another negotiations session had not been officially scheduled. The two sides should not conclude a round of negotiations without officially scheduling another get-together.

As they approach upcoming negotiations, both sides should acknowledge the excellent observation of district resident Beth Whisler, who has three children attending school in the district.

"The school district's reputation will be tarnished (by a strike)," she said. "People will only remember the strike and not the good things accomplished here by both teachers and the board."

On Thursday, Stephen M. Schmerin, Pennsylvania secretary of labor and industry, reported that the total number of work stoppages in 2003 was 43, the third-lowest total recorded in the Keystone State. Thirty-three of those stoppages were in the private sector, 10 in the public sector, with the majority of public-sector stoppages involving public school districts.

While Schmerin praised the 2003 statistics, he was right in pointing out that "we can do better; we must do better."

It would be unfortunate if the South Butler School District became an entry in the 2004.

At this stage, meaningful compromise by both sides is the only alternative.