A calmer atmosphere apparently will return to the South Butler School District this week. That will prompt a sigh of relief from many students and parents who are tired of the disruption and inconvenience caused by the current teachers strike.

District teachers, who have been on the picket line since Sept. 21, are required to report back to their classrooms on Wednesday to comply with the state law mandating that 180 classroom days be completed by June 15.

Still, uneasiness will be justified. If upcoming nonbinding arbitration — during which no negotiations will take place — is unsuccessful at bringing the school district and teachers union into agreement on a new pact, the teachers will have the option of going on strike again during this school year. In that case, the teachers would have to end their strike so 180 class days could be completed by June 30, the end of school districts' fiscal year.

The most troubling aspect of the South Butler contract dispute that in effect began at the start of negotiations in January 2008 is that over the past 20 months there's been no evidence that any substantial progress has been made on any key issues.

Those issues are salary, health care contributions, the length of the school day and early retirement provisions.

It's the teachers' right to stand firm regarding their demands, but it's the school board's right — and obligation — to continue to reject demands that the board believes will be detrimental to the financial health of the district and taxpayers.

However, unless there is some measure of compromise, presumably from both sides, the dispute could continue for years, with teachers continuing to work under terms of the expired contract.

Assuming a retroactivity clause in a new pact — but there's no requirement that one be included — teachers eventually will be in line for a big chunk of retroactive money, regardless of how long or how many times they strike prior to the dispute's settlement. They'll be paid their full salary as long as 180 class days are held — again, in compliance with state law.

The 180 class days required were achieved during the 2008-09 school year. Although there was a small time window for the teachers to conduct a second strike last school year following the completion of nonbinding arbitration, the teachers opted not to strike again.

Nonbinding arbitration is targeted as a 45-day process. However, last school year's strike ended on Nov. 18, but the arbitration decision wasn't announced until March 10.

Beyond the realm of the negotiations, contract proposals from each side and the expected nonbinding arbitration, there are legitimate concerns over the long-term impact of the dispute — whether morale issues and animosities will remain following a settlement and whether or how the board/teachers union relationship will be affected for the future.

Butch Santicola, a Pennsylvania State Education Association representative who is serving as the teachers union spokesman, said the other day that the teachers are on strike "to maintain the quality and the whole worth of the profession."

He said "everybody should be fighting for what we're fighting for."

However, he should have acknowledged that higher pay and better benefits won't make better teachers.

Likewise, it must be expected that teachers will give their all in the classrooms in the coming days and weeks, despite the lack of a settlement and even if in the end they don't receive everything they want.

In addition to the board/teacher relationship, concern also must extend to the teacher/student relationship, due to some students' participation in anti-strike protests.

Some observers might have wondered about the reason for three state police cruisers being at the site of the picketing and parent/student protest Wednesday outside Knoch High School. Lt. Thomas Hill of the Butler state police headquarters said Thursday afternoon that there had been no reports of possible trouble and that at least some of those cruisers might have been in the area due to the close proximity of a district judge's office.

While the South Butler strikes have been unsettling, fortunately they have not evolved into the kind of bitterness that some school districts have experienced over the years.

But while a sense of calm returns, it's appropriate for all within the district to ponder what has thus far occurred and what might lie ahead.

It's unfortunate for a school district to be subjected to such unrest for so long.