The Woodland Hills School District's new academy has the facilities, curriculum and students to open next year. But if the district doesn't come to terms with its teachers union soon, it may not have any teachers to go with them.

The teachers maintain the district failed to negotiate with the union while it planned the Woodland Hills Academy, an intensive learning center for grades K-6 scheduled to open this fall, and have backed that up with a grievance filed in March. District officials argue that they have been open to negotiations, but the teachers union refuses to meet with them.

The Woodland Hills Academy was introduced by Superintendent Walter Calinger as an alternative to traditional public school education. To be located in the former East Junior High School in Turtle Creek, the academy will offer specialized learning through smaller class sizes, foreign language instruction for all grade levels, optional class time before and after school and "pathways" for classes that relate subjects to future careers and student interests.

The academy will hold classes from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with opportunities for tutoring and additional classes at 7 a.m. and after school until 7 p.m. It will have 15 more days of instruction than the district's regular schools, but they will be spread over 11 months rather than 10.

The Woodland Hills Education Association claims the district violated the collective bargaining agreement by unilaterally determining teachers' hours and pay, establishing a new curriculum and school calendar, granting academy teachers an additional sick day and creating a transfer process for teachers within the district to the academy.

The district approved transfers for 29 teachers and staff members to the academy on May 6.

The teachers union also filed a separate grievance because a planned extended work day program will allow teachers to work shifts ending at 7 p.m. at both the academy and Woodland Hills High School next school year.

Teacher's union representatives handed out fliers stating their position to parents last week at the lottery drawing to select academy students in Turtle Creek.

The union issued a position paper on Monday, stating the district must bargain to change any term or condition of employment, or it is in violation of state labor law.

But Dr. Calinger said it is the union, not the district, that refuses to negotiate.

Dr. Calinger said a meeting was scheduled with former union president Michelle Sperduto for April 13, but the new union president, Lisa Harris, said she was told by the Pennsylvania State Education Association to delay the meeting and let the grievances move forward in arbitration.

PSEA spokesman Butch Santicola confirmed that Ms. Harris was advised not to attend the meeting.

"If they had met with us, they would have found out that 80 percent of this could be worked out," said Dr. Calinger.

Dr. Calinger said many of the violations alleged by the union are not accurate. He said the district did not make any changes to curriculum or to the teachers' transfer procedures and it worked within guidelines set in the contract to hire teachers for the academy. He said any remaining issues could have been worked out during the negotiation process.

Mr. Santicola said it was too late in the planning process for the district to start negotiations.

In fall 2006, Pittsburgh Public Schools opened eight accelerated learning academies after negotiating pay rates and other issues with the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

PFT president John Tarka said his union reached an agreement with the district only a few months before the academies opened. He said the school district has the right to make plans for new schools, but should involve teachers unions early on in the planing process to avoid conflict.