Teachers ask Missoula trustees for one-year classroom teacher at Chief Charlo to reduce class size and stabilize supports

Teachers and a school counselor asked the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees on May 27 to approve a one-year, targeted classroom teacher at Chief Charlo Elementary to reduce class size and create capacity for sustained multi-tiered supports.

The request came during the meeting's public-comment period from a staff member who said the grade next year will serve 58 students in two classrooms of 29 students each, with one class having nine students with IEPs and the other 11. "This is not just a group with high need, it's a group full of potential that deserves the chance to thrive," the speaker said. The presenter asked that the board consider a strategic one-year investment to allow the school to stabilize and build tier 1, 2 and 3 systems.

Fellow teacher Susan Ray described recent incidents she said illustrate the problem: a child became "seriously dysregulated" outside a second‑grade room, and it took five adults more than 20 minutes to help the child regain control while 44 second‑graders were unable to learn or feel safe. Ray said existing supports were pulled away from other students during the crisis and said Chief Charlo lacks a social worker and other proactive supports. "Even with these supports, many of the kids we're talking about will be even more overwhelmed in big classes," she said.

Speakers tied the staffing request to Verne's winter report: the presenter said Chief Charlo has the district's highest number of IUP students at the elementary level, even though Chief Charlo is not a Title I school. The presenters described limited problem‑solving meetings this year: "Our school has only met three times all year for tier 2, and three times for tier 3," the presenter said, arguing that the lack of systematic identification and monitoring allowed needs to escalate.

Board members did not take a formal vote during public comment. The comments were entered into the record during the public‑comment segment; no motion to allocate staffing or funding was made at the meeting. Superintendent Hill and other district staff were present earlier in the meeting and announced ongoing hiring work, but no district response or commitment to the one‑year teacher request was recorded in the minutes.

The speakers asked the board to consider a temporary, targeted teacher so the school can implement tiered supports, schedule dedicated SEL instruction, and reduce crisis-driven response work that currently consumes counselor time. The board may consider staffing and budget allocations later in the fiscal cycle as personnel and budget reports were on the meeting agenda.

Ending: The board did not act on the request at the May 27 meeting; the teachers asked that trustees keep Chief Charlo's students "in your heart" as the district proceeds through summer staffing and budget decisions.