The remainder of the 1980s and early 1990s remained relatively quiet. 1996 saw the next strike action. The Board of Education tried to force teachers back to work, claiming the strike was illegal during arbitration sessions, though teachers remained on strike. As the strike wore on, some of the fall sports teams were forced to forfeit their final regular season games and their state playoff games. The situation worsened when it was learned that the federal mediator had taken a week off to attend a conference at a resort. The Illinois Labor Relations Board publicly condemned both sides for failing to work in earnest to end the strike. By November 2, the District began announcing plans to replace striking teachers by as early as November 18. Parental involvement eventually helped end the strike on November 4 after 14 days. The final contract was ratified in January 1997, with the district stating an estimated cost of the strike at US$300,000, including a need to sweep areas for electronic eavesdropping devices.