More than 600 NFT union members locked in a labor contract dispute with the district were expected at the meeting that was closed to the public, including the media.

No strike is scheduled at Neshaminy schools for now.

A Neshaminy teacher who agreed to speak on a condition of anonymity said that while there were rumors of a strike vote, "there was nothing like that."

In fact, the union did not discuss any options such as returning to working to the contract, or hitting the picket line, according to the teacher, who attended Tuesday's Neshaminy Federation of Teachers union meeting at Carl Sandburg Middle School.

More than 600 NFT members who have been embroiled in a labor contract dispute with the school district since 2008 were expected to attend the meeting that was closed to the public, including the media.

The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching NFT president Louise Boyd after the evening meeting.

The word strike, the teacher said, wasn't mentioned, other than to provide the educators with a history of the NFT involvement in past work stoppages.

"It was more about how we're all feeling down from time to time since this has been going on for so long," the teacher said. "So, this was to keep us together and unified and give us a chance to ask questions."

But even though the event, which was requested by some teachers, was meant to be a question and answer session, it didn't really turn out that way, according to the teacher.

Instead, it was more like a rally of random supportive statements including, "We're with you," and "We stand together," followed by applause, said the teacher.

Most people felt better after the meeting, according to the teacher.

"I think it was good," said the teacher. "It's about morale. I felt better coming out than I did going in. We're all struggling. As time goes on, we start feeling depressed about it. But when we all get together, we can help each other. We miss that, being all together and hearing things firsthand. We all have the same feelings. We have each other's backs; that sort of message. So, there was a kind of camaraderie."

The teacher said there wasn't talk of having more similar events. The only discussion about the contract was that union officials informed the educators that there has been no movement forward, said the teacher.

"The negotiating team has made efforts that have not been well received by the board," the teacher said. "We feel that we're trying, but it's stalled. We just want to do our jobs and we want to do it well and be respected. We know this will pass, but we have to get through it."

On their way inside to the school auditorium, district educators only encountered a couple of parents with signs.

Parent Deborah Harker stood outside the entrance of the auditorium by herself holding a sign that read, "Please...Leave my child out of your fight! (He's only 8 years old)."

The Middletown parent stood out in the cold for nearly two hours.

"I've gotten mixed reactions tonight," Harker said. "I've had some teachers that have apologized. I've had some teachers that kind of give me a sad face because they do understand. I've had some teachers walked by me very cavalierly and said, 'We always leave the kids out of it.' No they don't. When they enacted to work the contract earlier this year, I walked into a school that was bare. Bare white cinder blocks. The children's work was not being displayed. If a teacher can't display a child's work and tell them they've done a good job then, they are not doing their job."

If the teachers go on strike, she can't do anything, Harker said.

"I'm at their whim," she said.

Union President Louise Boyd has said the union has made two offers. The second one includes a significant reduction in their health insurance plan that would provide substantial savings and the teachers also pulled off the table topics like class size.

The Neshaminy union's most recent offer to the school board is a five-year deal that includes 2.75 percent annual salary increases for the first two years, a 3 percent increase in the third and fourth years, and a 3.5 percent increase in the final year. That would be in addition to about 2 percent stepped increases for longevity and educational credits, district administrators said.

The proposed contract would be retroactive to July 1, 2008 and end June 30, 2013, with teachers not contributing to health insurance premiums. But school board members have said the district doesn't have the money to pay for retroactive pay raises.

The district's latest counteroffer was for a one-year contract, which included a 1 percent annual raise, plus an average of 2 percent in step salary increases. That offer also would require teachers to contribute 17 percent toward their health care premiums, and work three extra nights to ensure attendance at back-to-school nights, officials have said.