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Parents, teachers press Missoula trustees over 30‑student third‑grade classes as budget talks continue
Summary
Parents and teachers urged the Missoula County Public Schools board to avoid scheduled third‑grade class consolidations at Chief Charleau, warning of academic and social‑emotional harm. Board members debated the costs and tradeoffs in upcoming FY26 budget choices, including the expense of paras and a teacher.
At the May 27 meeting of the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees, parents and teachers urged the board to reverse a proposed staffing plan that would leave two third‑grade classes at Chief Charleau Elementary with about 30 students each.
The concern was raised during the public comment period. Lisa Mackey, a Chief Charleau parent, said the district’s current plan would put “30 kids to a classroom” and asked the board to “dig a little deeper, think a little bit more creative, and not let this continue with this plan of cutting third grade teachers.”
Second‑grade teacher Susan “Sue” Ray told trustees she and two colleagues had tried and failed to place 59 students into two classes and described the group as having “needs unlike we’ve ever seen before.” Ray asked the board to give the students “at least one more year in a class of reasonable size” and said, “Will one teacher be able to meet the needs of your child as well as the 28 others? The answer is no.”
The public comments led into an extended board discussion during the board’s review of FY26 budget projections. Pat McHugh, who presented the projection documents to trustees, described the district’s narrowed budget options and answered cost questions from trustees. When asked by Trustee Witcher how much a full‑time para and a teacher would cost at Chief Charleau, McHugh said a full‑time para is “right around $34,000,” and later said a teacher is “right around $64,000.” McHugh and other staff also described how overflow paras are hired at fewer hours (about 1½ hours per student over the accreditation number), which affects benefit eligibility and total cost.
Trustees acknowledged the district faces tradeoffs across multiple schools. Trustee Walsh urged the board to consider whether limited positive balance in the preliminary projection could fund an additional teacher for a school in urgent need. Trustee F. Garris and other trustees cautioned that the roughly $63,000 net positive in the projection is not an unrestricted cash balance and that one‑time money and districtwide equity concerns limit the board’s ability to add teachers to individual schools without broader policy for allocation. Trustee Mercer asked about consistent, neutral criteria for leveling students across schools; district staff described a spring review process that attempts to keep students in area schools where feasible and reserves seats for midyear moves.
Board members also discussed nonstaff supports that are available when class sizes rise: behavior interventionists, social workers, FIT/FRC services and case managers. Superintendent Hill and staff noted the district must follow state accreditation guidance and collective bargaining agreements while balancing declining enrollment and pockets of higher‑than‑average class sizes across multiple schools.
The trustees did not take a final staffing vote at the May 27 meeting; the budget materials were presented as information only and the board continued public discussion of options. Several trustees asked staff to continue exploring scheduling and leveling options and to come back with clearer, school‑by‑school impact data before any final staffing reductions or reassignments are adopted.
Ending: Parents and teachers will return to the board’s agenda as the district refines the FY26 budget and staff proposals; trustees said they intend to weigh school‑level equity and year‑to‑year enrollment volatility before approving any permanent staffing changes.
