GLOCESTER - With the start of school just five business days away, Glocester teachers are still without a contract, as are the school department's non-certified employees.

And, as of earlier this week, Glocester had yet to hire a part-time superintendent to oversee the town's two elementary schools, a task made necessary by Glocester's decision last year to leave the regional school district.

First, the teachers.

Negotiators for the Glocester School Committee and the Glocester Teachers Association are continuing to meet, but no agreement has been reached on a contract, Chris Hebert, the committee's chairman said Monday.

Beyond that, Hebert declined to say anything about the negotiations, noting that both sides had agreed at the outset of talks to not talk to the press. Asked if a mediator has been called in to help facilitate a settlement before the start of school on Sept. 8, Hebert replied, "No comment."

Even other school committee members are having a hard time finding out how talks are proceeding, said Walter Steere, a member of the Glocester School Committee and the Foster-Glocester Regional School Committee

"They haven't told us anything," Steere said.

Steere said he wished the negotiators could be more forthcoming because people in town want to know what's going on.

The Glocester Teachers Association represents about 60 teachers who work in the town's two elementary schools. Their current contract expired on June 30. Since then, negotiators for both sides have met, but the pace of negotiations has been slow, with a week or two sometimes lapsing between sessions.

Three years ago, the teachers engaged in a one-day work stoppage before an agreement was eventually reached. The one day they did not report to school was scheduled as a professional day and did not affect students.

Unsettled teacher talks are arguably enough for one town to handle as a new school year rolls around, but Glocester has other issues lingering as well.

No agreement has been reached in talks with the union representing non-certified employees, a group that includes teachers' aides, custodians and clerical staff. And efforts to hire a part-time superintendent have been slow at best; by law, the new superintendent should have been in place by July 1. But, seven weeks later, the issue is still being debated.

A special meeting of all of the school committees - Foster, Glocester and Foster Glocester Regional - was set for Tuesday night in Foster, to discuss who would take the part-time position.