The teachers union and district board members soon will begin formal negotiations to iron out a new teachers contract before the end of August.

Worthington school board members went behind closed doors June 23 after a regular board meeting to "prepare for negotiations with public employees," according to the agenda, and held similar closed-door sessions after board meetings in May and June.

The Worthington Education Association's current three-year contract expires Aug. 31.

Education association President Pete Scully said Monday, June 30 that four dates are scheduled for formal negotiations: one in July and three in August.

"We've met with board members a few times, but actual negotiations begin at the end of July," he said. "We spend a lot of time gathering information from our members, and we are in negotiations on behalf of our members, not on behalf of ourselves.

"We hope to have a new contract by the end of August," he said.

Board members approved the last three-year contract in August 2005, which gave teachers a 3.75 percent increase to the wage scale, along with a benefit package that gave administrators a 3.25 percent salary increase.

The contract also called for higher health insurance deductibles for teachers -- $1,100 for single coverage and $2,200 deductible for family coverage -- and higher monthly premiums -- $54 for family coverage and $22 for single coverage.

Board members offset some of the deductible cost, however, by agreeing to contribute 70 percent of the deductible to each member's tax-free Health Savings Account once a year for three years.

That contract replaced the one-year contract in which teachers agreed to a 1 percent salary increase to recognize the district's financial woes in 2004.

Scully declined to comment on bargaining procedure, and Superintendent Melissa Conrath was not available for comment this week.

When the current contract was approved, then Superintendent Rick Fenton said the district used an "interest-based bargaining approach" that encourages each side to identify issues, then both sides collectively identify possible options or solutions to address the issues.