DANVILLE – Danville teachers and support staff are poised to strike if their union and the Danville school board cannot resolve a contract dispute soon.

The Danville Education Association on Wednesday approved filing an intent-to-strike notice. About 500 of the group's 630 members cast ballots, and 98 percent voted in favor.

And 10 days after they've notified the district, staff can walk out at any time. But that doesn't mean they will, President Robin Twidwell said.

"We're still hopeful that on (Tuesday), we will get this settled," she said, referring to the day talks resume. "Of course, we want teachers to stay in the classrooms, and we want our students to stay in the classrooms. But it's vital that the school board members come to the table to negotiate with us."

Superintendent Mark Denman said he was disappointed by the union's action when there's been only one negotiation session with a federal mediator.

"Certainly, a strike would be disruptive," said Denman, who minutes earlier had announced at a school board meeting that the 2010-11 year was off to a good start. He added he doesn't believe a strike would be in the best interest of the district's 5,593 students.

The association represents about 630 certified staff, teaching assistants, secretaries, learning-resource clerks and other employees. They're currently working under their old one-year contracts – one for teachers and teaching assistants, the other for secretaries and learning-resource clerks – which expired on June 30.

Though district officials have remained tight-lipped on their proposal, association members have said they're bargaining for a one-year contract that is fair to both sides. Despite about seven sessions since April, including a 5-hour session with the federal mediator on Aug. 16, the two sides remain far apart on both financial and language issues.

Sticking points include raises, retirement incentives, staff cuts, class size, school nurses and school safety, among other things.

Twidwell said members are frustrated mainly because board members aren't directly involved in the talks. Instead, their negotiating team has had to deal with the board's team, including its Chicago attorney, Associate Superintendent Dianna Kirk, finance director Heather McKiernan and human resources director Kathy Houpt.

"It's just a very poor way to communicate. We need to have some face-to-face conversations in order to have this contract settled," Twidwell said, adding the association hopes the intent-to-strike notice will send a "strong" message to board members.

School board President Bill Dobbles – who has been on the other side of the negotiations table as the association's president – recalled that in the past, board members have served on the negotiation teams some years and have not in others. This year, "there would be nothing new if board members sat down with them," he said.

The one thing the two sides do agree on is wanting to settle and avert a strike. The last time teachers walked out was in 1977, Dobbles said.

"The board will do everything possible to reach a settlement," he said.

Denman agreed, but said the district must be very cautious and conservative when it comes to dipping into reserves in light of the uncertainty of state funding and the economic climate.

"We just don't know how much we will get this year," he said, referring to state funding, which makes up 51 percent of the district's revenues.