BUTLER TWP — Butler School District officials will be negotiating a new contract for the 500 plus teachers past today’s expiration date, which had a one-year extension following a five-year agreement.

Superintendent Dale Lumley said meetings with members of the Butler Education Association, the teachers union, have been positive and professional. Their next meeting is July 8.

“Many of the language issues have worked out well,” Lumley said. “Salary and benefits continue to be the sticking points.”

Salary and benefits for all employees make up the majority of the district’s $100.7 million budget, costing $43.3 million and $27.8 million, respectively, for the 2014-2015 school year.

Also ending in the contract is the district’s early retirement incentive plan. That allowed teachers who were at least 52 years old who had contributed for at least 20 years into the state pension fund and who had worked in the district for at least 10 years to retire with seven years of dental and health care benefits for retiree and spouse.

“That’s something that they’ll have to negotiate back in,” Lumley said.

Tom DeGeorge, teacher union president and a Center Township Elementary teacher, also noted that the meetings have been courteous.

He noted teachers made a number of concessions when the last contract was opened in 2011 and in a one-year extension for the 2014-2015 school year.

For instance, monthly health care premiums paid by teachers tripled. Now individual coverage costs a teacher $60, $75 for a married couple, and $90 for a family in 2011.

Supplemental contract pay, such as that for coaches, was frozen for three years. And in last year’s one-year contract extension, teachers working in the district for 19 years or more had their pay frozen.

The district saved more than $2 million during those contract negotiation changes.

DeGeorge said, “I think the big thing is knowing with every contract, you’re always looking ahead with the next one.

“We just want to make sure everything is done right with health care. We’re probably more cautious than what we would have been in the past.”

The average teacher salary for Butler’s 513 teachers during the 2014-2015 school year was $59,829. Debbie Brandstetter, business manager, said she expects that average to decrease next school year because of 20 teachers who retired this month.

Board member Neil Convery said he’s hoping for “a contract that can be affordable and fair and reasonable to the teachers, but also, affordable and fair and reasonable to the community that supports the school.

“There are no money trees out there,” he said.

Board member Bill Halle said he’s optimistic a fair agreement will be made.

“I believe that our teachers understand the fact of the district’s very tough financial situation, especially regarding benefits, and will work with us to get a fair contract,” Halle said.

In the meantime, teachers will continue work under the old contract until a new agreement is approved.