Contract talks between the Hermitage Education Association and the school district continued Tuesday, with both sides saying things were moving ahead.

"We hope the amount of progress we made last night will continue on a weekly basis," said Paul Estock, sixth-grade elementary teacher and HEA's chief negotiator.

"We want a contract by the end of the school year," Estock said. "The membership is pretty devoted to that concept."

A vote taken in November gives the teachers union the authority to strike if an agreement is not reached within a certain time.

"It went well," said Hermitage school board vice-president Tim Ruffo and chairman of the board's negotiating committee. "Without a doubt, I'd have to say we're not there but pretty much about there."

But Estock, who thought that many issues had been resolved, said that harder issues may loom ahead. He declined to say what those issues are.

"We may be reaching an impasse. It comes to a point then, when you have to make decisions," Estock said, referring to a strike.

"Last night's meeting though, went, I thought, well. We accomplished a lot. We came to resolutions on a lot of issues," Estock said.

Both sides refused to discuss specifics, having agreed to keep negotiations at the table.

Two negotiating sessions are set over the next two weeks, Estock said.

"A lot of the progress here is with the aid of superintendent Karen Ionta," said Ruffo, referring to her as a 'go-between'. "The gist of it is, is that she has helped tie up some loose ends. She's done a great deal in getting people to work together."