By DAN SOKIL

A new year may have brought with it a new presidency, but not much has changed in the ongoing contract dispute between the Souderton Area School District and the district's teachers union.

Both Bill Lukridge and Jeffrey Sultanik, head of the teachers union and district solicitor, respectively, agree the new year has not brought any progress toward a new bargaining agreement between both parties.

"Right now there's nothing to report, but once there is, we'll be sure to let everybody know," Lukridge said.

The district and teachers union have been in nonbinding arbitration since September, after a 15-day strike at the start of the 2008-09 school year.

The three-person arbitration panel, consisting of one neutral arbitrator and one representing each side, is required by state law to issue a set of recommendations to both parties after a period of fact finding.

At this point, according to Sultanik, no timeline has been announced by the panel, so the dispute still remains in a holding pattern.

Fortunately for some students, one potential problem was avoided last week, and the high school Jazz Ensemble will finish its 2008-09 season.

The jazz band controversy began after the ensemble's winter concert on Dec. 12, when Jazz Band Director Adam Tucker sent a letter to

parents in early January outlining a potential work stoppage if no new contract agreement was reached by February.

"I have spoken with my music department colleagues and we believe, due to the lack of movement from the board of directors, all after-school activities that correspond with our school day music classes should cease to occur until a settlement is negotiated," reads the letter.

Fortunately for the young musicians, it seems Tucker has changed his tune: his $1,560 supplemental contract to direct the Jazz Band for 2008-09 was approved by the school board on Jan. 22.

"Adam Tucker, the Jazz Band director, has agreed to continue the Jazz Band season without interruption. He has agreed to the supplemental contract for that position," said district Superintendent Charles Amuso.

That news came as a relief to Dennis Chaney, father of four Souderton Area students, including two in the high school.

"I just think the entire process that the teachers are putting these kids through it atrocious. It is unbelievable the amount of pressure they're putting on the children at this point in time, when they're unable to even voice an opinion on the strike situation without teachers getting irritated and upset," Chaney said.

In Souderton Area, the secretaries and aides also have been working without a contract all year.

Teachers and the school board of the neighboring North Penn School District are trying to avoid that kind of situation Souderton Area has experienced, according to district Director of Business Administration Michael Frist.

"Those talks were started in October, and we've had several meetings already that have been very fruitful, and so we're continuing that process," said Frist.

The district's contract with the North Penn Education Association expires on Aug. 30, but Frist said both sides are well ahead of the state-mandated timeline, which would have required discussions to begin by Jan. 10.

"Obviously, we've seen what has happened in the Souderton Area School District, and that's the reason that we and the teachers association both agreed that we wanted to sit down and talk early," Frist said.

Calls to Gary Smith, Pennsylvania State Education Association representative for the Souderton Area School District, and to Alan Malachowski, President of the North Penn Education Association, were not returned by press time.