AKRON, Ohio — One day before the strike deadline, negotiations between the Akron teacher's union and the school district ended Saturday around 7:30 p.m. with plans to reconvene tomorrow.
"We will go into federal mediation and we will stay as long as it's necessary to come to a meeting of the mines on many issues. You, you can't enter specifically having a bottom line," Akron Education Association president Pat Shipe said.
This is Shipe at the beginning of December talking about mediations and how she believes a deal will be reached.
Just over three weeks later the 10 day strike notice was given on December 29th, with several more mediations scheduled.
The district released this through their Director of Communications following the notice. "Akron Public Schools respects and values its teachers and the work they do for children every day. We know that if we keep negotiating, we can reach an agreement in the best interests of Akron educators, students, parents, and our community."
And Shipe had this to say about the decision - adding the last thing they want is to actually go on strike.
"Safety and security in our buildings continues to be the top overriding issue that we are standing firm on. Our community backs us, we have overwhelming support by their community members, by parents, by students," Shipe said.
We've talked to students who support Shipe's statement.
"These are things that happen consistently, and we really shouldn't be afraid of that we should be able to go to school without fearing that but all of us are afraid that there's going to be a weapon or some hard drugs at school," Cove Ferguson, APS sophomore said.
And that leads to now, one more day for mediation, those happen behind closed doors, and both sides told 3 News some progress was made, the question looming will be if enough progress will get them over the finish line before Midnight Sunday, or will Akron be seeing flashbacks to 1989.
This is a story we will continue to follow, including mediation tomorrow.
If it fails and teachers strike, Akron Public School students can expect to be learning virtually beginning Monday until the strike ends.