DECATUR - Interest-based bargaining between the Decatur School District and its teachers union has paid off in a tentative contract agreement.

The two sides announced the settlement in a Friday news release that states they will say more at noon Monday at the Keil Administration Building.

Dawn Hunter, community engagement specialist, said in an interview that Superintendent Gloria Davis and James Forrester, Decatur Education Association president, will discuss the process by which the agreement was reached and a timeline for the union and the school board to vote.

She added that Marla Robinson, assistant superintendent for elementary education and head of the school district's bargaining team, also would be present at Monday's meeting, and that the school board's next meeting is Aug. 26.

Neither Davis nor Forrester could be reached for comment Friday evening, nor could Hunter say how the new bargaining process went.

"This is not something I was involved in this time," she said, adding that details of the new contract would not be released until both sides approve it.

Agreement on the current three-year contract, which expires this month, came after an eight-day teachers strike over the high school schedule in 2005.

As a result, the teachers and administration agreed to try interest-based bargaining this time around.

Instead of each side presenting proposals for the other side to accept or reject, a committee of 16 people, including representatives of both sides, was trained and organized early this year to discuss issues and narrow down specifics until they reached a proposal together.

The original hope was to finalize a contract by June.

The Decatur Education Association represents about 800 teachers, Hunter said, and classes at most schools are scheduled to begin Wednesday.

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