ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Rockford teachers are not striking -- yet. About 1,800 teachers met tonight at the Coronado to sort things out. They voted to give the union the right to declare an impasse in negotiations if things continue to sour with the District.

Teachers want to keep their current healthcare benefits and some want higher salaries. They are also concerned about the size of classrooms and the length of the school day.

Teachers have been working under the terms of an expired contract since July. In January the District gave the union its final offer, but that soon came back rejected. The union is upset school board members walked out on negotiations about a week ago. The union can't strike before one side officially throws its hands up and declares an impasse.

If an impasse is declared, teachers will have to meet a second time to vote on whether to strike. Union leaders say they won't declare an impasse as long as negotiations continue in good faith. But even if union leaders declare an impasse, that doesn't necessarily mean teachers will strike.

The union and the district have scheduled four more additional meetings for negotiations. The first of those will be held tomorrow.

Here’s a look at some of the numbers:

More than 18 hundred teachers have been working without a contract since July.
There have been 40 bargaining sessions between the school board and the REA so far.
If teachers were to strike, more than 27-thousand students would be affected.

UPDATED: ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- The Rockford School District has rejected the latest offer from its faculty members.

The REA had submitted a proposal for a two year contract last week that would have been retroactive to July 2011, but district leaders say that's unrealistic.

Interim Superintendent Doctor Robert Willis says they're ready to keep negotiating with the teachers union to try and come to some sort of agreement. Right now, no more bargaining sessions have been schedule,. but the teachers will meet tomorrow evening at the Coronado Theater to discuss their next move.

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- The Rockford School Board met in closed session tonight to discuss the REA's last contract offer.

Last Thursday the Rockford Education Association gave the district a new proposal--that's when administrators canceled yesterday and today's bargaining sessions so they could present it to the school board. We’re told the board cannot vote on the contract tonight, just that there would be discussion.

If the school board comes back with a counter-offer, that could set the tone for an REA meeting that's being held Thursday; that's when union members are gathering and if they choose, they could vote to strike.

The REA has been working without a new contract since July.