Minimal progress is better than no progress, so we remain hopeful that Prairie Grove School District 46 and its teachers’ union will be able to settle their contract dispute with no more threats of a strike.

But merely settling the contract dispute for the sake of settling is not good enough. The school board and teachers’ union must reach a deal that makes sense for overburdened taxpayers, who can no longer see their property taxes go up each year because taxing bodies can’t control their spending.

The Prairie Grove Teachers’ Association last week filed a 10-day “intent-to-strike” notice with the district. The union has set no strike date, and union leaders said they aim to do “everything we can to avoid a strike.”