Valley City, ND (KCSi-T.V. News Oct 15, 2013) — The North Dakota state Fact Finding Commission held a public hearing Tuesday night with the Valley City School Board and the Valley City Education Association concerning the impasse over a negotiated agreement.

At impasse is a salary base increase of $200 for incoming teachers, health insurance funding formula and paying teachers for unused sick leave upon retirement and salary step increase for teachers who received advance education degrees.

The School Board Advisory committee feels that the interim fund sitting at 6.5 percent it’s not prudent to approve any salary increases.

At Tuesday’s 3-hour hearing testimony included individuals worried that if an agreement isn’t reached soon it could tear the community apart.

Valley City Education Association president Kathy Lentz said the VCEA has compromised on several key issues, but the school board appears to be unwilling to negotiate on any issue.

Most of the Valley City teachers at the hearing told the commission they were shocked that the school board is not honoring a salary step increase for teachers who have received advance education degrees, referring to a previous negotiated agreement.

Spokesperson for the school board Bismarck attorney, Rachel Bruner-Kaufman says the Valley City school board also wants to realign the health insurance funding committee to include two school board members and two members from the Valley City Education Association and the superintendent.

With the salary base increase of $200 for new teachers hired in the school district, the school board is holding steady at a zero percent increase for now.

Valley City resident Misty Kaufman told the commission that it’s time for the school board to realize they have some of the best teachers in the state and the board should reward them and treat them with respect and honor their negotiated agreement.

The 3-member Fact Finding Commission is comprised of Chairman Dean Rummel, Jerry Heib and Barb Evanson.

Rummel says the Fact Finding Commission has until October 28, 2013 to present their non-binding recommendation to both sides.

The school board and the teachers association has another 20 days after that to accept or reject the commissions findings.