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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) After more than 8 months of an impasse an agreement was officially reached between the Valley City Public School Board and the Valley City Education Association concerning the 2013-2014 negotiated agreement.

Superintendent Dean Koppelman says VCEA president Kathy Lentz told him the group ratified the agreement. The Valley City School board also approved of the negotiated agreement during a special board meeting on May 21.

In April Southeast Judicial District Judge Jay Schmitz ruled in favor of the VCEA by saying the school district was in breach of the agreement by demanding that teachers sign contracts with a modification the board made to Section 3 of the contract pertaining to healthcare.

But in Judge Schmitz ruling he said the school board negotiated in good faith. The VCEA accused the board of not negotiating in good faith during 18 hours of public hearings that were spread out over 8 months during the impasse.

Superintendent Dean Koppelman says the board did negotiate in good faith during the entire process.

Valley City school board president Joyce Braunagel says “The board gave up a lot of concessions to make this agreement happen. But I’m glad its done.”

She says she very proud how the board handled themselves and how unified the board was during the negotiation process.

In the agreement the school district will raise the base salary for incoming teachers by $100 to $33,600.

The school district will agree to set up a 9 member Health Insurance Committee known as (HIC) that will have 4 Valley City Education Association members, Two school board members, One non-certified Valley City Public School District employee, One building principal and the Superintendent.

And at retirement, a teacher will be paid $35 per unused sick leave day up to a maximum of $,5000.