The Farrell school board and teachers will have a draft of a proposed contract soon.

The board's chief negotiator, James Nevant II, said the two sides reached a tentative agreement Tuesday night after 4èhours of negotiation.

"I am optimistic about how the sides will react (to the contract)" he said. "Both sides worked hard to reach an agreement, and I think it is a fair settlement."

The talks have been going on since January.

The 95-member teachers union has been working under an extension of the previous contract since the five-year pact ended June 30.

Two sticking points had been cited in the past: salaries and an unnamed issue. Teachers had wanted to improve the base salary and what is paid for their participation in extracurricular activities.

Ron Reed, president of the teachers union, did not respond to telephone calls and voice mail messages from The Herald asking for comment.

Both the teachers and the school board would have to ratify the agreement.