AUSTINTOWN - Austintown school officials are mum on the details of a tentative agreement with the teachers union until after the proposal is put to a vote.
Union president Barb Tomic confirmed that no details would be released about the tentative agreement until it has been presented to the union, which she said will likely be early next week.
Tomic said she hopes the union will vote in favor of the agreement, acknowledging that another tentative agreement that was reached amid negotiations last year was voted down by union members.
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The tentative deal was reached late Monday after a negotiation session between the Austintown Education Association, the school board and a federal mediator.
The union represents 315 teachers, nurses, guidance counselors, librarians and speech therapists. It has been working under an expired contract since August.
Members authorized a 10-day intent to strike notice last week, but before Monday's session, union Tomic said she hoped it would not come to that.
"Our teachers have been somewhat frustrated, and I understand their frustration," said Superintendent Vincent Colaluca, adding that Monday's negotiations went very well.
"It's been a collaborative effort with some give and take ... but with the new money in the budget, we did not get a reduction, and that really helped," he said.
"The board has to be very astute with the taxpayers' money ... but our teachers have done a great job. We've reached the milestone of excellent with distinction, and our great teachers are the ones that are providing that education," Colaluca said.