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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The welcome back in-service breakfast for teachers wasn’t as warm and fuzzy this year as a mediator for both sides has been called in to settle a negotiated agreement between the school district and its teachers. School Board Chairwoman Joyce Braunagel.

Discussion of negotiations strategy to prepare for Valley City School District advisory committee meeting will be discussed during a Special School board meeting today at 5pm. An executive session is anticipated which would be closed to the media and the general public.

Meanwhile Valley City Schools Superintendent Dean Koppelman says the state funding formula needs to be adjusted. He says the Valley City school district lost nearly a million dollars in property tax collection. Koppelman says the state mandated funding formula has taken away local control.

The state per-pupil funding increased from $4,000 to nearly $9,000 per student in the last legislative session. But Koppelman says with the loss of 25 students in his district, it cuts into your operating expenses. Although there was some good news as preliminary numbers show an increase in student enrollment for the 2013-2014 school year. Official enrollment numbers will be out in September.