Hundreds of teachers and their supporters walked more than a mile between Mason Middle School and the district's administration building as teachers union negotiators met again with representatives from the district.
Educators are seeking a new three-year contract with better pay and more professional development opportunities, among other requests.
Mason Education Association spokesperson Stephanie Nally says representatives of the teachers union have been negotiating since February. The two parities began using a federal mediator in April. Their last meeting was July 1.
"Mason is unique," Nally said. "We have unique needs. We're a large district. We have high expectations for our staff in our community. We just want to be able to meet those needs for everybody."
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The district employs more than 600 teachers and serves more than 10,000 students. Classes at the district resume Aug. 15 and 16. Both representatives for the teacher's union and the district say they hope to come to a contract agreement before then.
"The fiscally responsible balance our board has struck with our teachers union of the past 14 years since we failed a levy in 2010 is a big reason why we can keep our staff at the top of the wage market," the Mason School Board said in a statement released in July. "Other districts face massive budget deficits and have to consider salary freezes or layoffs, like Cincinnati Public Schools, Mt. Healthy, Middletown, and Centerville have recently experienced."
"This is our 15th session," Nally said. "We want to be team players, we want to collaborate, and we're hopeful that today we might make that happen."