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Minot Public Schools to hold fact-finding hearing

School board to discuss contract teacher negotiations in public meeting

Andrea Johnson/MDN Pictured are Minot school board members Mark Lyman, Steve Velk and Jim Rostad, superintendent Mark Vollmer, board members Laura Mihalick and Mitch Kraft and assistant superintendent Tracey Lawson.

Members of the Minot Public School Board went into executive session at Thursday’s board meeting to discuss teacher contract negotiations.

Negotiations are currently at impasse and a fact finding hearing has been scheduled for 3 p.m. June 5 at the Minot High School-Central Campus Auditorium.

The fact-finding meeting is open to the public. The two sides have been unable to agree on salaries. The Minot Education Association’s final proposal was an increase of $600 on the base salary for a beginning teacher. The board proposal was no increase on the salary for a beginning teacher but the district would honor the existing salary schedule and allow teachers to move up on the schedule and earn more money based on additional education and additional experience.

The district would also pay the same percentage of health insurance as this school year, with employees also paying the same percentage as this year.

The cost to the district of the board proposal at an additional $1.05 million, or a 1.84 percent increase in total salary and benefit costs.

Board negotiators said the district is operating with a budget deficit and cannot afford more.

The factfinding commission will hear from both sides at the hearing and later issue a recommendation.

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