Teacher pay primed to dominate public school funding conversation in the Legislature
Kalispell Public Schools' administration office on Wednesday, Sept. 25. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
After roughly nine months of negotiations, teachers and school administrators in Kalispell last month ratified a new two-year union contract that will raise salaries for first-year educators by more than $9,000. District and union leaders billed the agreement as critical to addressing financial challenges for staff in the Kalispell Public Schools, where the starting salary heading into fall 2024 was $38,385 and the median housing price is the second highest in the state.
“Many educators have faced financial strain, from taking on second jobs to delaying major life milestones,” Kalispell Education Association President Anthony Lapke said in a statement announcing the new contract, which included an average salary increase of 4.64% for teachers across all experience levels. “This contract addresses those concerns and will help Kalispell educators stay and serve the students and families in the community that we love.”
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