Teachers and school officials in the Mandan School District must decide tonight if they are going to impasse for the fourth time in a row.

On Wednesday night, negotiators from the Mandan School Board and from the Mandan Education Association were discussing the final topic on their agenda, which was salaries. Neither party could agree on next year's budget projections, and the meeting ended early. Tonight, both parties have the final chance to accept the other side's salary proposal or go to impasse.

In an earlier interview both parties said they did not want to go to impasse, to have a third party decide the salary issue. Wednesday night, neither party wanted to comment before the final meeting.

Some of the projected budget areas that the parties didn't agree on were new money from mill levy increases, property tax increases, and money gained or lost from teachers resigning or retiring.

If the school board passes the mill levy increase, the district will be capped at 185 mills.

The school board negotiators offered $390,000 in new money toward teacher salaries and asked for MEA's proposal on how to distribute it. The MEA rejected the offer.

David Mellon, MEA president, said during the meeting that what the school board is offering doesn't cover the cost-of-living increases.

Before the meeting ended, negotiators from MEA presented information comparing Mandan educator's salaries versus state average salaries.

According to the information they presented, Mandan's superintendent, secondary and elementary principals received more then the state average in salaries. Teachers in the district received 5 percent less then the state average.

The MEA also asked why Mandan's superintendent was the fifth-highest paid superintendent in the state and the teachers are ranked 26th in the state, when Mandan is the sixth-largest district.

The parties will officially decide whether they are going to settle or go into impasse at the meeting 6:30 p.m. today at the Central Administration Building, 309 Collins Ave.