DICKINSON, N.D. — The Valley City Public School Board and the Valley City Education Association has received the Education Fact Finding Commission of North Dakota.

Currently at impasse, the Board of Education and the Valley City Education Association have until November 13, 2013 to agree to the commission’s recommendations or make minor changes to those recommendations and finalize a contract.

If both entities are still at impasse after the November 13th deadline, the commission report will be published and in the report the commission chairman Dean Rummel will explain to the public why the negotiations failed, and who, in his opinion, compromised the possibility for agreement.

The commission recommends the base salary be increased by $100 from $33,500 to $33,600 and teachers would continue to advance on the salary schedule for time served and the educational credits that they have earned.

The commission made the recommendation, based on the reduction in cost due to the replacement of five to six teachers who have retired or resigned,, including the FACS teacher position, and the change in budgeting for the self-funded health insurance account.

The commission recommends that a new Health Insurance Committee be formed, based on increasing health care costs, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and the complexity and advantages of a self-funded health insurance program.

Four VCEA members, two School Board members, one non-certified VCSD employee, the School District Business Manager and the Superintendent. All nine would be voting members.

The commission is also recommending the sick leave payment at retirement be paid at the rate of $35 per unused sick leave day up to a maximum of $5,000, allowing retiring teachers to be rewarded for the minimal usage of their sick leave days.

The commission’s recommendation also eliminates the involvement of the Sick Leave Bank, saying it is a difficult concept, to allow a teacher with a catastrophic illness to apply to the sick leave bank to qualify for a retirement payment based on unused sick leave days.