Kalispell teachers vent frustrations with ongoing contract negotiations

Undervalued and underappreciated were two words repeated by dozens of teachers in Kalispell Public Schools who addressed the school board and district administrators during an emotional public commenting period Tuesday.  

Over an hour, about 24 employees shared how starting the school year without a new contract for certified staff has contributed to low morale among educators throughout the district. Many cited financial, professional and emotional stress compounded by expanded workloads, fewer resources, low salaries and high costs of living. 

The veteran teachers, new teachers, a school psychologist and a speech-language pathologist provided personal experiences and relayed comments from colleagues surveyed by the Kalispell Education Association to a packed boardroom at Flathead High School. 

Teachers shared the financial strain of working under the 2023-24 contract after failing to reach a collective bargaining agreement. Contract negotiations have been ongoing for months, pausing over the summer and resuming this month. The next negotiations meeting is Monday, Sept. 30. 

Glacier High School teacher Melissa Smith, who is in her third year with the district, said the financial stress is becoming overwhelming, finding it harder to afford to live in the community she serves.  

“To be clear, it's not just about our salaries. It's also about feeling valued and recognized for the sacrifices we make as teachers. We are and will always be dedicated to our students. That is non-negotiable for us,” Smith said.   

“I stand before all of you asking the district for help. Help us to be able to support our families. Help us to continue to provide the best for our students. Help us to be fairly compensated for our labor," she said. 

Educators also expressed anxiety over job security with cuts on the horizon. 

The collective bargaining agreement impacts approximately 460 certified staff, including teachers, school nurses, psychologists and speech-language pathologists. 

“Montana is dead last in teacher pay and we were the second-lowest paid teachers, [AA] school district in the state last year and now we’re the lowest,” Glacier teacher CJ Cummings said before reading comments from the union survey. 

According to data from the school district, Kalispell Public Schools’ base salary is $38,197. That compares to Billings base of 46,900 and Bozeman’s base of $46,813. 

Kalispell Public Schools is proposing a base of $40,489, while Kalispell Education Association wants a $43,000 base. 

On the upper end of the pay scale, Kalispell’s highest paid teachers top out at $83,938, compared to Billings’ maximum of $91,451 and Bozeman’s maximum of $90,913. 

Kalispell Public Schools is proposing a maximum of $85,511, while Kalispell Education Association wants $86,615. 

MULTIPLE TEACHERS, including Smith and Glacier teachers Gabi Eodice and Austin Robbins, noted working a second or third job to pay the bills. Robbins, who has taught in the district for 12 years, said he felt compelled to actively participate in negotiations with concerns about attracting quality educators. 

“I work year-round doing landscaping ... trying to make ends meet,” said Robbins, who's taught in the district for 12 years. “And I'm fortunate enough to have purchased a home in 2014 that makes this possible. Had I been coming out of college today to get a teaching job, I would not be able to afford to work here.” 

Other teachers said they've considered leaving the district or the profession all together. 

Glacier High Spanish and German teacher Brooke Gardner said in the time since she was hired three years ago, five friends who were also new teachers, left the district to pursue better-paying jobs.    

“I'm the only teacher left in this school district from that group, and the only reason I can afford to live here is because I received an inheritance. While I would love to buy a home with that inheritance, I'm extremely nervous too, because every month I have to dip into it in order to cover my basic living expenses,” Gardner said. 

Flathead High School teacher and 1991 graduate Sean O’Donnell spoke to the deep roots his family has planted in the district. Sean, his wife Shannon, and their son Scott all teach at Flathead High School. 

“I love this district, but I have never in 29 years of teaching seeing teacher morale so low; and particularly for our young teachers, who are struggling to pay their bills; who are struggling to figure out a way to make it work in the Flathead Valley; we have an obligation to stand with them and to help them,” he said. 

For Glacier teacher Cody Hoon the night was a call to action. 

"I know that you're all leaning into your power to advocate for us at the state level,” he said. “That's where the keys are at. That's where the ignition is at. Let's turn it on. Let's work together.” 

Following the public input, board chairman Scott Warnell addressed the audience of educators with an apology. 

“I’m sorry that you guys feel undervalued and unappreciated,” Warnell said. 

“The administration and the board really do value you guys. I know that we’re going through a tough time right now. I know that we’re going to get through it,” he said. 

THE TEACHERS pleaded their case against the backdrop of a districtwide budget shortfall in the range of $2.2 to $3.1 million, depending on the outcome of the collective bargaining agreement, among other factors. 

The school board approved a final budget in August as required by law. What trustees approved is the revenue side of the budget. What the district is working toward is shoring up are expenditures. 

The budget predicament raised more questions than answers for teacher Jaret Stump. 

“It's hard to trust central administrators, whose budget presentations include how many teachers need to be cut to square the budget, given one scenario versus another. It's the teachers that are being cut constantly, not programs, not administrators, not activities,” Stump said.   

Jensen updated trustees on the budget and deficit amount while presenting a timeline and outlining current recommendations to balance the budget this year and next year with the goal of creating budget stability rather than “kicking the can down the road” with short-term solutions. 

“We're in this situation because we have a tough funding formula in the state of Montana, and as a high school district specifically, we're 90% funded,” Jensen said. 

“I'm not casting blame on anybody. I think everybody's done their best over the years, but I think we've had situations where we've added staff that we probably shouldn't have, and we haven't set criteria for when we hire staff, how we compensate staff, and then trying to keep up with the matrix. That is important to what it looks like to live in Flathead Valley.” 

In creating stability, the district is assessing staffing levels in schools, class sizes and course scheduling to make reductions and maximize operational costs. This could mean a districtwide reduction of 34.5 to 39.5 FTE, full-time equivalent, amounting to approximately $2,242,500 to $2,567,500 and bigger class sizes. 

The district is preparing to have a staffing plan recommendation ready in October or November with possible reductions shared in December. Any reduction in force notices would be finalized and announced in May, which will depend on the outcome of a high school levy election, according to the timeline.  

Administrators and trustees are also waiting to see what results from the 2025 Legislative session regarding the structure of school funding. The current funding formula doesn’t account for cost of living or inflationary increases.  

A high school levy of any type hasn’t passed in the district since 2007. 

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