South Butler County School District teachers have warned they will go on strike Sept. 21 unless an agreement is reached before then.

Butch Santicola, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said the teachers gave the district their strike notice after a bargaining session Tuesday night.

The bargaining session came at the end of the first day of school for the district's 2,850 students.

Eight other bargaining sessions, including one last night, were scheduled this week and next, concluding on Sept. 18.

"We're hoping that these next eight days can produce a settlement," said Mr. Santicola.

He said the local strategy is "maybe if they put some pressure on everybody at this point, maybe they can reach a settlement."

The district posted information on its Web site, www.southbutler.k12.pa.us, saying that school is canceled beginning Sept. 21 because of the planned strike. It also posted information about activities.

Last school year, the teachers went on strike Oct. 23 and returned to the classroom Nov. 18, as required by state law, so that students could get 180 days of instruction by June 15.

That strike -- as well as the subsequent mandatory, nonbinding arbitration -- failed to resolve the contract dispute.

South Butler Solicitor Thomas King said, "We're very disappointed. It's a terrible thing to do to the kids in the South Butler County School District and to the parents. We're very sorry it got to this point, but the board increased its offer and reduced our demands on health care."

Mr. Santicola disagreed with that characterization, saying the district had "reshuffled the money." He noted the teachers, but not the school board, had accepted the nonbinding arbitrator's recommendation.

Mr. King said, "It's a horrible time for anybody to be going on strike. The economy is in shambles. There's no state budget."

Mr. Santicola described the teachers as tired and frustrated.

Statewide, there have not been any teacher strikes so far this school year.