HAVEN, Kan. — A meeting which lasted about an hour Thursday morning failed to find common ground between the Haven USD 312 School District and its teachers.

The two sides are still apart on a base salary increase that would make it one of the higher ones in the county. Teachers originally asked for an increase of $6,014. That was met with an offer of $2,014 by the district. Since then, the two sides have come to within $1,500 of an agreement but could not find middle ground during the latest negotiating session. The teachers have come down $2,000 in their latest offer and the district has come up $500.

During Thursday’s meeting, the teachers said they would agree to the district’s latest offer of a $2,514 increase, if they promise to add another $2,500 next year. The two increases would raise the districts base pay to $41,000.

Superintendent Clark Wedel stated that they could not make a commitment to next year without some consultation with the school board. With that, a special meeting is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. which the board will go into executive session to discuss what the teachers say is their “final offer”. Wedel says with step increases and benefits, the current proposal of $2,514 by the district adds up to a 7% increase. The increase in base pay alone would cost the district about $163,000.