For the first time since teacher contracts expired last June, representatives from the Park Association of Teachers released a statement while about 70 teachers sat in the audience at the School Board meeting Jan. 13.

Negotiators from the Park Association of Teachers (PAT) and the School District began meeting to discuss the new contracts last spring, but an agreement has not yet been reached, according to Mike Nordean, social studies teacher and lead negotiator for the PAT.

New contracts are negotiated every two years to allow teacher pay and benefits to stay relevant to economic changes. Teachers are currently working under last year’s contract because a new agreement has not been reached, Nordean said.

Nordean said the PAT would like to receive more than it has in the past because there are more resources available.

“The reason the Board has money right now is because we have settled in the district’s favor, because we knew they didn’t have enough money,” Nordean said. “Now they do, so it’s time to pay us back.”

Human resources director Kimberly Hergott said the district must maintain a balanced budget, and this consideration must be included when negotiating teacher contracts.

“Frequently when they come to the table, unions bring what they want to see change,” she said. “The district doesn’t want to change anything, so is not searching for concessions, which is a good thing. Anytime we’re not looking for concessions, there’s a balanced labor management.”

PAT president Kevin Jones said the statement followed a previous meeting at which 40 or 50 teachers appeared wearing Park Staff shirts at the Dec. 9 Board meeting.

Wearing new staff shirts, the teachers filed into the meeting before Jones and teacher Dick Plantz spoke about the PAT’s desire to see the contracts settled in the near future.

“The statement will be asking the School Board to put forth more effort to reach a fair and reasonable contract between the PAT and St. Louis Park School District,” he said.

“We realize both sides are working very hard to accomplish this.”

Hergott said the district would like to provide for staff members, but needs to prevent risking the district’s financial stability.

“We want to make sure we’re financially providing really strong salaries for our teachers and showing our appreciation of their work, but at the same time we have to be cognizant of fund balance. So it’s a delicate balance,” she said.