BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Negotiations resumed Monday in the Bellevue teachers' strike, after taking a break Sunday.

Both sides moved closer to agreeing on employee health care and on making changes so that teachers could deviate from scripted lesson plans, but the pay raise is still the sticking point.

The teachers’ union is now asking for a 5 percent raise, over two years -- instead of the original demand of 11 percent over three years.

The district offered a 4.5 percent raise Monday over three years, half of the increase would be contingent on passing levies in 2010.

The decision is now up to teachers to consider the offer or continue their strike. It’s unclear if the teachers will vote on the new proposal.

"Do I want to be here? Absolutely not. Do I want to be in that building behind me? Without a question, yes. But it's an issue that's got to be resolved, and if this is what must happen, then this is what we've got to do," said teacher John Pat Bourassa.

About 16,000 students have already missed a week of school during the strike.

"We want the teachers to be able to have school start for them with the stuff they deserve, because these teachers are really great," said student Simone Geraud.