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MEA member says bargaining in good faith; urges board to include Connect Academy in site visits and student‑trustee invitation
Summary
A representative of the Missoula Education Association told trustees bargaining continues into late hours and likely will include a double‑digit starting‑teacher pay increase; the speaker also urged trustees to include Connect Academy (an online charter) in site visits and to invite a Connect student to serve as student trustee.
During public comment on May 27, a member of the Missoula Education Association said bargaining with the district was ongoing and urged trustees to recognize Connect Academy, the district’s online charter, during site visits and consider a Connect student for the student‑trustee position.
The commenter said the bargaining teams met from about 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. the previous night and described the late sessions as evidence of "good faith bargaining." "While we haven't yet reached a tentative agreement, our late nights reflect good faith bargaining, and that's something we're proud of," the commenter said. The speaker said the bargaining focus includes increases to starting teacher pay and that the resulting agreement will likely reflect a double‑digit percentage increase "to recruit the next generation of MCPS educators in accordance with the STARS Act." The commenter said MEA members also want to address negative real‑wage growth experienced by veteran educators over the past five years.
On the Connect Academy topic, the commenter described Connect as a robust, synchronous online model distinct from the remote learning used during the 2020 lockdown and asked trustees to include Connect in site‑visit rotations and to "invite a Connect student to serve as a student trustee next year." The board did not respond or take action during the public‑comment period; the remarks were recorded as public comment.
Ending: Trustees did not vote or provide an explicit response at the meeting; the MEA representative said bargaining will continue and urged the board to include Connect Academy in future site visits and student‑trustee considerations.
