Missoula School District Budgets Increase Teacher Pay, Avoid Major Cuts

Despite declining enrollment, the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees approved elementary and high school budgets for the upcoming school year that include significant increases in teacher salaries and minimal cuts. The budgets, which were subject to legislative changes to tax rates, saw a 7.4% increase in the elementary budget and a 9.7% increase in the high school budget.

The STARS Act, which was passed earlier this year, nearly doubled the "quality educator payment" MCPS receives from the state, providing an additional $1.6 million for the elementary district and $1.2 million for the high school district. This, combined with inflationary increases in state funding, will help pay for wage increases outlined in new bargaining agreements and for non-union staff.

The district's starting teacher pay is now over $50,000, which is considered "really good" according to the district's executive director of business and operations, Denise Williams. However, the budget also includes a new bus depreciation fund to raise money to eventually replace buses purchased earlier this year for new routes.

The district's general fund makes up about 61% of the total budget, with the state supporting 80% and the district generating the other 20% through measures like operational levies. Local levy funding makes up about 40% of the elementary district's budget and 36% of the high school budget. The elementary budget totals $77.6 million, while the high school budget increased to $63.4 million.

Key Takeaways:

• The Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees approved elementary and high school budgets for the upcoming school year that include significant increases in teacher salaries and minimal cuts.
• The STARS Act, which was passed earlier this year, nearly doubled the "quality educator payment" MCPS receives from the state, providing an additional $1.6 million for the elementary district and $1.2 million for the high school district.
• The district's starting teacher pay is now over $50,000, which is considered "really good" according to the district's executive director of business and operations, Denise Williams.
• Local levy funding makes up about 40% of the elementary district's budget and 36% of the high school budget.
• The district's general fund makes up about 61% of the total budget, with the state supporting 80% and the district generating the other 20% through measures like operational levies.
• The elementary budget totals $77.6 million, while the high school budget increased to $63.4 million.
• The district's bus depreciation fund will be used to raise money to eventually replace buses purchased earlier this year for new routes.
• The district's early literacy program grew and added staff this year, with 209 4-year-olds enrolled in the program, up from 148 last year.
• The district's general fund budget is largely built around ANB, or Average Number Belonging, which is the average number of students in classrooms as counted on two fixed days during the previous school year.
• Many grades are seeing declining enrollment, with 457 students set to start kindergarten, down from just over 500 at the end of last year.
• The district did not cut any teachers, but some had to move to teaching a different grade because of the enrollment decline.
• About 13 to 15 K-5 classrooms have more students than the minimum, but no more than two extra, with paraeducators to support teachers.

Statistics:

• The elementary budget totals $77.6 million, a 7.4% increase from last year's $72.2 million budget.
• The high school budget increased about 9.7%, from $57.7 million to $63.4 million.
• The STARS Act provided an additional $1.6 million for the elementary district and $1.2 million for the high school district.
• The district's starting teacher pay is now over $50,000.
• Local levy funding makes up about 40% of the elementary district's budget and 36% of the high school budget.
• The district's general fund makes up about 61% of the total budget, with the state supporting 80% and the district generating the other 20% through measures like operational levies.
• 209 4-year-olds are enrolled in the district's early literacy program, up from 148 last year.
• The district's number of K-12 students decreased, with 457 students set to start kindergarten, down from just over 500 at the end of last year.

Sources:

• Montana Free Press, "Missoula school district budgets increase teacher pay, avoid major cuts"
• Montana Free Press, "Montana legislature passes $100 million bill to raise starting teacher pay"
• Montana Free Press, "Voters deliver mixed outcomes to levy requests from some of the state's largest school districts"