To put it mildly, the stars do not appear to be aligning anytime soon for an easy settlement of the contract impasse at South Butler School District.

Its 167 teachers have been working under the terms of a contract that expired in June 2014. Three years later, negotiations reportedly have gone nowhere. They went nowhere again at a meeting this week.

Brooke Witt, the Pennsylvania State Education Association agent for the district's teachers, called the most recent bargaining session unproductive. District solicitor Tom Breth concurred, saying both parties remain at odds over virtually every issue from health care to the length of in-service work days.

It's hard to resist the application of an old axiom, but with a wicked twist: Even if it is broken, don't fix it. Where's the incentive to commit more dollars and other resources to address a disputed issue if the district can save a buck by limping along with the status quo?

The answer to this rhetorical question is that it can't continue, nor should it.

Even the most extremely opinionated members of the community must realize that a resolution is long overdue, and the lack of a deal fills the district's schools and staff with angst, resentment and distraction — not exactly an atmosphere conducive to learning.

Even the most progressive pro-faculty individuals must understand the district's limitations and restrictions, the unreliability of state funding and the challenging twin conditions of a shrinking student base and swelling retiree population.

Even the most stingy conservative advocate of home-schooling should concede that vibrant local schools are essential to attracting and keeping a strong business community.

Nine candidates are seeking four vacancies on the South Butler School Board in the May 16 primary election. All nine candidates are cross-filed, meaning they gathered signatures from enough Democrats and Republicans to get their names on both ballots. If the same four candidates get the most votes on both ballots, then they automatically win the election.

Seven of the candidates took part in a forum at the Saxonburg Memorial Presbyterian Church. The expired contract and faculty morale were central topics — and should remain the focal issue over the coming days leading up to the primary.

The selection of South Butler's next board is at least as crucial as the adoption of a new contract. In Saxonburg and across Pennsylvania, we need to stop approaching public education as a necessary expense to which we contribute grudgingly; rather, we must see it as an investment opportunity from which we can expect to reap dividends.

And to put it simply, you can't reap what you don't sow.