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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Valley City School Board chairwoman Joyce Braunagel says teachers and the board have to come together to urge legislators to make adjustments in the school funding formula that has resulted in an interim fund below 10 percent for this school district.

Braunagel says the new funding formula has created a tight budget for this district and that was one of the reasons that ultimately lead to an impasse between the board and VCEA teachers.

She asked members of the VCEA negotiating team to come back to the table to settle their differences concerning 28 words in a section on medical insurance with the negotiated agreement. She also urged members on both sides to start the process of setting up a 9 member health insurance committee soon to find the best solution on this issue.

School board member Mike Callahan urged the public to come and check the facts out for themselves concerning the school districts interim fund. He says we have open records and anyone can request to see them during business hours.

Callahan says the impact of the federal Affordable Care Act will affect this school district and others and it needs to be seriously addressed by all parties involved.

Auditor Harold Rotunda told the school board this month that the school district’s interim fund, below 10 percent is dangerously low for the school district.

The state Fact Finding Commission in their final report also express concern about the school districts current interim fund being to low.

The board broke into an executive session immediately after the public meeting on November 25. Some items from that meeting may be addressed publicly in the near future.

No members of the Valley City Education Association were present during the special school board meeting on November 25.

Members of the VCEA have not said what their next move will be and the school board told representatives of the media that they were not sure what their next move would be over these issues of concern in the school district.

The school board addressed empty chairs during their special school board meeting on November 25 in Valley City.