A mediator will sit down with Franklin Lakes teachers and school officials to come up with an agreement to end a teachers strike.

School officials canceled school Monday after teachers told the school board that they were going on strike and weren’t showing up. Franklin Avenue Middle, High Mountain Road, Colonial Road and Woodside Avenue schools were closed. The strike did not impact any of the high schools since they are regional schools.

The protest is over contracts. Many teachers say that they have been working without a contract for two years.

The teachers also say that health benefits are getting too expensive, making it difficult for them to make ends meet.

"Teachers across the state, they pay an extraordinarily high amount of contributions. Some as high as 35%, which well exceeds what the private sector pays,” says Sharon Milano with the Franklin Lakes Education Association. “We're looking to have the board negotiate with us to bring it down to a more reasonable level."

The Franklin Lakes Board of Education says it is seeking emergency court action to order the teachers back to work.