Teacher pay primed to dominate public school funding conversation in the Montana Legislature

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 Educat...