The Seneca Valley School District, which has been operating under a five-year teachers contract that expired on June 30, 2006, has made a reasonable proposal in suggesting that the protracted dispute resort to fact-finding.

With the teachers union so far remaining cool to the idea, it can only be speculated what direction the impasse will take in the weeks ahead.

But regardless of the direction, Seneca Valley taxpayers have a right to know what the school board has been offering the teachers. And, it would not be unreasonable for the board to reveal the full details of what the teachers are seeking. It is district taxpayers who will be paying whatever bill stems from the negotiations.

Instead, the taxpayers are being unacceptably shortchanged.

Board vice president Robert Hill Jr.'s statement that "we are very far apart on economic issues" poses troubling implications regarding the start of the 2007-08 school year.

While both sides have described negotiations to date as "cordial" and "professional," how long that assessment might hold true becomes a question mark with the prospect of teachers beginning a second year working under the terms of an expired contract.

During the past month, a fact finder helped bring about a contract agreement in the Mars School District. Like Seneca Valley teachers, Mars teachers worked the 2006-07 school year under terms of an expired pact.

In terms of Seneca Valley's situation, it is the responsibility of negotiators there to negotiate a successful contract package. However, Seneca Valley taxpayers' right to know what's at stake in terms of their wallets and pocketbooks is beyond question.

It also would be in the taxpayers' best interests for the board to provide a cumulative cost comparison of what the teachers are requesting and what the district is offering.

The taxpayers have the right to make an informed judgment of the proposals on the table — the sooner the better.