Minn. districts, teachers scramble for contracts

School districts across the state are scrambling to meet a midnight deadline Friday to have new contracts in place with their teachers or risk a fine from the state.

The state's teachers union Education Minnesota says more than 200 school districts have ratified new deals with teachers. But that leaves more than a hundred left to go.

Some will bump up against the deadline - like Elk River. That district's school board will meet at 6 p.m. Friday to ratify the new contract.

But other districts - like Minneapolis, Eastern Carver County, and St. Cloud - will miss the deadline, either because they never reached a deal or because union members voted against it.

Those districts will be fined $25 per student, which for Minneapolis will mean about $800,000.

Every district in Minnesota is on the same two-year schedule for teacher contracts.