Kalispell teachers union considers contract proposal

Following months of negotiations, the Kalispell Public Schools board of trustees unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement Tuesday that will go before the Kalispell Education Association for a vote Friday.

The district still projects a budget deficit and a substantial reduction in staff under the proposal. 

The collective bargaining agreement impacts approximately 450 certified staff, including teachers, school nurses, psychologists and speech-language pathologists, who have been working under a 2023-24 contract. 

If ratified, the two-year contract will include retroactive pay for the current 2024-25 school year and goes through the 2025-26 school year. 

The contract includes a 13% increase to the base and a 2.5% increase at the top end of the salary matrix for the 2024-25 school year. A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree would be paid $43,375. 

For the 2025-26 school year, the contract includes a 10% increase to the base and a 2.11% increase at the top. A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree would earn $47,713. 

Kalispell Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Peter Fusaro read a letter on behalf of Superintendent Matt Jensen, who was unable to attend the meeting.  

“While I look forward to continued efforts with the KEA to improve the certified teacher salaries and benefits, this agreement represents our best ability to allocate projected funding for the salaries and benefits,” Fusaro read from Jensen’s letter. 

Jensen said the proposed contract was developed by five trustees serving on two negotiation committees who worked closely with union leadership and had the support of two superintendents. 

Discussions focused on high-quality teachers and learning, the cost of living in the Flathead Valley and the level of local and state funding, that combined with inflation, “continue to hamstring the budget.” 

“While this agreement provides significant increases for our starting teachers, more work needs to be done to ensure we can recruit and retain teachers at all levels of our salary matrix. It is my hope we continue to work together to raise awareness and pursue legislative action that addresses the unique needs in our area of the state,” Jensen’s letter stated. “It is also essential that we come together to develop new and creative ways to engage and inform our community regarding what is at stake when considering support of local levies.” 

Trustees also approved a two-year pay increase for non-union and administrative staff. 

Pending the ratification of the certified collective bargaining agreement, non-union employees will receive a 4% increase for the 2024-25 school year and a 3% increase for 2025-26. Administrators will get a 2.5% increase for the current school year, and a 2.11% increase in 2025-26. 

The financial implications will be a $2.7 million deficit in the current year and a potential $1.5 million deficit next year, according to Chris Campbell, the school district's finance director. 

Campbell projected that staff would need to be reduced by 14 full-time equivalent positions in the elementary district (grades K-8) and 25 full-time equivalent positions in the high school district. The district plans to notify staff affected by the reductions in December, with district Assistant Superintendent Sara Cole emphasizing it will be a clear and transparent process. 

Trustees also approved a retirement incentive of $30,000. Campbell said the district will realize savings if more than 20 people take the incentive.  

“If we have 15, we’ll break even. Below that, it’ll end up costing us from a cash flow perspective, but not significantly,” he said. 

Trustees raised concerns about the perception that veteran teachers may feel unvalued or pushed out by the incentive. 

Trustee Linda Kaps, who retired from Columbia Falls School District, said she took a retirement incentive and didn’t view it that way. 

“For people who are on the cusp of trying to decide, should I do this? Should I retire or not retire, it incentivized me because I knew there wasn’t going to be another one coming and I found my salary would have increased as I kept teaching but not to that degree,” Kaps said, adding, “It had nothing to do with the school district trying to say they didn’t value my years of service.” 

Before voting on the collective bargaining agreement, trustee Jinnifer Mariman asked what the union thought about the proposed contract. Kalispell Education Association President Lynne Rider said there was a learning curve in educating staff on the nuances of the revised salary matrix (which is structured by years of service and education) and how it will affect individuals at different levels when digging into the numbers.

“It might be a mixed bag. We really pushed for the lower-end teachers to get a livable wage,” Rider said, later adding, “It's going to really depend on people looking at how this contract benefits them. All of our surveys, everybody was gung-ho about making sure our lower teachers really got the pay they needed to stay in this district, live the district that they teach in.” 

“Do I think it’s perfect? No,” she said, adding that it’s a good start to put before union members. 

English teacher Megan Koppes, who is in her 18th year at Flathead High School, said she is part of the team of teachers who provide instruction and orientation to new teachers, some of whom may struggle to live or support a family on a first-year salary. She said it’s been a challenge to provide them with assurance and thanked trustees for their humanizing discussion Tuesday, which included questions and concerns about teachers’ welfare, such as whether or not they would receive backpay before the holidays.  

Longtime Flathead High School history teacher Sean O’Donnell also advocated for supporting young teachers, noting they are the future of the district and the community. He thanked the board for the discussion but emphasized the need to do “everything we can” to avoid a reduction in force. 

Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.