DANVILLE — Superintendent Mark Denman confirmed Thursday school district officials are working on a plan in case teachers do strike — but they’re holding out hope a deal can be reached before that happens.

“We make plans for any situation and have options,” said Denman, “but we won’t release what those plans will be. We’re hopeful there won’t be a disruption.”

He said at a media briefing Friday that the district negotiating team understood the gravity of the situation and were working on counterproposals to offer at Tuesday’s meeting — the third with a federal mediator — in an effort to avoid enacting the district’s strike plan.

“I read the articles and I see the concern (in the community),” he said. “(A strike) would not be good for our community and certainly would not be good for our students.”

Danville Education Association President Robin Twidwell said her team was working on offering “creative solutions” at Tuesday’s meeting — which was the general message left by the mediator after last week’s unsuccessful two-hour session.

“We did talk a little Tuesday and (the mediator) reiterated we should try throwing out some new ideas,” she said. “We’re hoping maybe their side will be doing the same.”

Denman said they are.

“Hopefully, we’ll have some counterproposals flying back and forth,” he said. “We’re willing to discuss other options.”

Teachers last month voted 98 percent in favor of filing “intent-to-strike” notification, which opened a 10-day settlement window that also closes Tuesday.

Twidwell said Friday union officials originally believed the “intent” vote was also a go-ahead to call a strike date without another membership vote, a position they’ve since revisited.

She said if talks end without a deal Tuesday or a promise to talk further, “We will take a vote to strike.” She said the likely date would be Monday, Sept. 13.

An additional vote “would be much more clear,” said Sean Burns, a negotiator with the Illinois Education Association advising the Danville team.

“We want to be completely honest with our people,” Twidwell added.

Regional Superintendent Mike Metzen confirmed receipt of the strike notice Aug. 26.

He said his office’s role in the strike would be to monitor the process for the Illinois State Board of Education — which would include credential verification if replacements took the place of striking teachers.

An ISBE spokeswoman said Thursday the district had just two options if teachers chose to strike: Shut down or find replacements.

“If a strike is called and the district decides not to hold school,” she said, “we just sit and wait.”

If substitutes were used, ISBE would place monitors at each attendance building in the district to check credentials.

Metzen’s office currently credentials all Vermilion County substitutes, including background checks and fingerprinting.

Danville District 118 would be hard-pressed to find enough local substitutes to fill the 500-plus teaching positions that could open with a strike.

Metzen said the county-wide substitute list is only around 60, though that number has spiked recently due to the county’s high jobless rate and a spring round of teaching cuts. He said the number had risen by a third in just the last month, many of those signing up already certified teachers.

“We have a lot of people signing up to be on the substitute lists,” he said, “and it’s been growing every day. We’ve been fingerprinting like mad.”

To be a substitute, a candidate only has to have a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university and pass the background check. He or she does not have to possess a teaching certificate.

“We’ve got more people who are looking to get back in it,” he said.