GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) — In the first strike in Galesburg in 37 years, teachers in the northwestern Illinois city began walking the picket lines Wednesday after their union rejected a contract offered by the public school district.

The 500-member union and district officials disputed the role state finances played in the breakdown of negotiations. The strike will affect extracurricular activities, including sports practices, which will be canceled during the work stoppage. School had been scheduled to start Thursday.