School board approves one-year lease extensions, raises community lease rates to $8 per square foot

Trustees of the Missoula County Public Schools approved one-year lease extensions and a rate increase for three community organizations, voting 4–0 with one abstention among elementary trustees to raise the base lease from $5 to $8 per square foot beginning August 2025.

The change covers one-year extensions for Cancer Support Community Montana, Studio M and Friends of the Children and phases a further increase to $10 per square foot in August 2026 (the board amended the motion to adopt only the first-year $8 increase; the second-year figure was discussed but not adopted as part of the final elementary vote).

The board framed the change as an attempt to better offset ongoing facility maintenance costs while preserving near-term stability for existing tenants. Burley McWilliams, director of facilities, told trustees the district had set lease rates at $3 per square foot in early 2024, later raising them to $5; the administration recommended $8 in 2025 and $10 in 2026 as a phased approach to move closer to market while keeping leases short-term pending a district facility study scheduled to finish in December 2025.

Trustees pressing on specifics asked how square footage is calculated and how many square feet each tenant occupies. McWilliams said the district counts usable space (classrooms, offices, gyms when used) and reported Friends of the Children occupies about 6,900 square feet and Studio M about 7,121 square feet; the transcript’s figure for Cancer Support Community Montana was unclear from the record and is therefore not specified in this article.

In public comment, Ben Davis, executive director of Friends of the Children, said the organization is largely privately funded and that the proposed increase would raise its rent by roughly $30,000 a year under the two-year proposal. He warned the jump would force the nonprofit to spend more staff time fundraising and could reduce the number of children it serves. “If you were to adopt the second year, it would be an 89% increase,” Davis said, describing the cumulative effect of the proposed increases on his organization.

Board members debated the balance between supporting community partners and stewarding district property. Trustee Mercer asked whether organizations provide direct value to students and whether donations in lieu of rent could be considered; Trustee Hapueres and Trustee Davie emphasized rising maintenance and replacement costs for district buildings as a rationale for increasing lease revenue. Trustee F. Garris recused themself from the agenda item.

The final elementary vote recorded was four in favor and one abstention; the motion as amended approved the one-year extensions and the $8-per-square-foot increase effective August 2025. Trustees and staff said the facility study’s December 2025 results will guide longer-term decisions.

The decision affects only current short-term lease agreements coming due June 30 and July 30, 2025; other leases with later expirations (for example, Missoula Child Care Advantage) were not part of this vote and retain their existing terms until their scheduled renewal.

Trustees asked administration to return with additional details if further increases are proposed and emphasized the district’s intent to prioritize keeping long-standing partners in place while addressing rising facility costs.

Speakers quoted or named in this article are from the meeting record and include: Burley McWilliams, director of facilities; Ben Davis, executive director, Friends of the Children; Trustee Walsh; Trustee Keegan Witt; Trustee Mercer; Trustee F. Garris; Trustee Lisa Davey; Trustee Hapueres.