Striking South Butler County teachers turned out in force yesterday morning to picket their campus.

Union spokesman Butch Santicola estimated that 180 of the district's 186 faculty members were carrying signs on the first day of the strike. The few teachers not present, he said, were ill.

South Butler County is the only school district in Pennsylvania where teachers are on strike, according to the state Department of Education.

While teachers were picketing along Knoch and Dinnerbell roads in Jefferson, the school board met to draft a contingency plan to allow some district activities to operate during the labor dispute.

About 100 Knoch Senior High School students continue to attend their classes at Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School, board President Jim Jones said after the meeting.

Some student activities, including football practices and games, should not be interrupted, he said, because advisers and coaches perform those duties under separate contracts. If coaches do not show up, the district is making alternative arrangements, he said.

South Butler serves about 2,850 students. The district, which covers almost 100 square miles, includes the municipalities of Clinton, Jefferson, Penn, Saxonburg and Winfield.

The strike began after contract talks ended Friday without a settlement. No new negotiations are scheduled. Teachers have been working without a contract since June 30, 2008.

"Teachers don't want to be out here," Mr. Santicola said. "They want to be over there," gesturing toward the district's four buildings: the high school, Knoch Middle School, South Butler Intermediate Elementary School and South Butler Primary School.

Teachers are willing to negotiate the size of annual raises, but they are willing to fight to keep their present benefits, especially health care, he said.

The board and the teachers remain divided over salary, retirement incentives, length of the school day and health benefits.

How much teachers should contribute toward rising health-care costs appears to be the biggest stumbling block to reaching a new contract.

Mr. Jones said the district would resume talks only when the teachers' negotiators are ready to discuss changes in the current health-care plan.

The district said it paid about $11,900 per teacher last year for health insurance. Teachers contribute $10 per month for individuals and $20 per month for family coverage toward those costs.

The school board negotiators are proposing two alternative plans, each of which calls for higher monthly employee contributions. Those employee payments be as much as $102 per month for family coverage by the end of the proposed five-year contract, if the teacher chooses a health insurance plan with no deductibles.

The board also is seeking to reduce the maximum length of time retired employees receive district-paid medical insurance from the current 14 years to 71/2 years.

"They key to a settlement will be a willingness to consider significant changes in health-care coverage," board Solicitor Tom Breth said.

The school district is taking advantage of tough economic times to force more costs onto its employees, Mr. Santicola said. "I don't think any employees should be paying more for their insurance."

School districts are required to provide 180 days of instruction by June 15. If no settlement is reached, teachers can stay out until Oct. 6, according to district calculations. Under that scenario, school would restart Oct. 7.

This work stoppage is the second South Butler County has faced in less than a year. Teachers went on strike on Oct. 23 last school year. They returned to their classrooms on Nov. 18.