TROTWOOD, Ohio (WDTN) – After months of negotiations, there’s still no agreement between Trotwood-Madison City Schools and their teacher’s union. District teachers and staff have been working without a contract since July.

Trotwood-Madison teachers and staff stood up and walked out at the start of Thursday night’s school board meeting. Many carried signs to show support for the Trotwood-Madison Education Association (TMEA).

“This is a tiring situation for us to be in,” Trotwood-Madison second grade teacher Julie Emmons said.

TMEA’s contract negotiations have been on the school board’s agenda for months now.

“It’s a process, and we ask people to understand and respect that process,” Trotwood-Madison City School Board President Denise Moore said.

Representatives from TMEA said negotiations began before their contract expired on June 30.

Since then, both parties have gone through more than 30 sessions and more than 140 hours of bargaining, even a federal mediator was called in, but still no agreement.

“When you have a district, and you’re working without a contract, that’s area that’s a huge area of concern,” Emmons said. “You know, we have over 400 staff members that show up to work every day for our kids.”

Moore said they are working behind closed doors to come up with a solution that works for the board, budget and the union.

“An agreement will be reached in the best interests of all parties, and in light of our financial situation and being good stewards and for sustainability of our district,” Moore said.

Teacher Julie Emmons said these teachers and staff members do not want to go on strike. They want to be in the classroom, but they also want to come to an agreement.

“We’re not changing how we operate with our kids,” Emmons said. “Nothing, none of that is changing. Which proves our point. You know, we want to be appreciated and feel like what we do every day is a sense of appreciation.”

At the end of the meeting, the school board went into executive session to discuss the contract negotiation. 2 NEWS was told executive sessions to discuss the union contract have become a regular part of the board’s agenda.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for the end of the month, on November 30.