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Trustees debate value of Montana School Boards Association membership ahead of renewal
Summary
Board members and administrators traded views on MTSBA advocacy, dues and services; trustees asked for more information and planned further review before the July renewal deadline.
Trustees and district leaders aired competing views about continuing membership in the Montana School Boards Association (MTSBA) and asked staff for more information ahead of next month’s renewal.
Vice Chair Walker Andrews opened discussion, saying the board should consider what it gets from the association and suggested a year‑long review of benefits. Several trustees praised MTSBA’s legislative advocacy; one trustee said the organization’s daily legislative updates and in‑session support were valuable during a contentious session. Others — led by Vice Chair of Garris — said they wanted direct engagement from MTSBA leadership and questioned whether the association sufficiently represented double‑A (smaller) districts’ interests.
Trustee concerns included the association’s responsiveness to local requests — one trustee said he was frustrated that MTSBA staff had not visited the board in recent years despite the district’s dues — and the distribution of benefits such as pooled work‑comp and unemployment insurance credits. Trustees discussed the cost of dues and the timing of any change: administrators noted that some MTSBA services (insurance pools and credits) are tied to July‑1 renewals and would require advance planning to replace.
Why it matters: MTSBA provides legal guidance, pooled insurance programs and state‑level advocacy for school boards; the board’s decision affects dues, insurance participation and representation during the next legislative cycle. Some trustees urged a formal request for proposals or an insurance consultant review as a “warning shot” to signal dissatisfaction; others warned that abandoning MTSBA could forfeit effective advocacy at the Legislature.
Next steps: trustees asked staff to return with more information, including the cost/benefit of dues, details about insurance credits and the logistics of soliciting alternate bids, and to add a formal action item to the June agenda. No membership vote was taken at the meeting.
