East Palestine students should expect to see teachers in class when the new school year begins later this month, even though those teachers don’t have a contract.

Contract talks between the East Palestine school board and the union representing its teachers are scheduled to resume on August 26th, following the end of the school day on the first day of class. 

In a news release, the East Palestine Education Association reported that seven hours of negotiation held on Tuesday resulted in a consensus on some contract issues. However, the union says “substantial” work needs to be done before a new agreement is reached.

The union rejected a school board proposal to resume negotiation on Monday, saying members need time to prepare for the new school year.

“With our middle school teachers only just gaining access to their classrooms, we believe it is crucial to prioritize their time for classroom preparation,” said EPEA spokesperson Carrie Cope. “Additionally, all our teachers require time to get ready for next week’s Open House and the first day of school the following week. Given these pressing needs, we prefer to focus on addressing the needs of our students rather than engage in extended negotiations.”

The East Palestine Education Association's contract expired on June 30. There have been no talks of a strike.