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Trustees approve routine contracts, reserves and salary changes; tentative MEA deal outlined
Summary
The board approved routine district agreements (transportation, leases, enterprise fund, bus depreciation reserves), adopted personnel reports and nonunion salary increases, and heard highlights of a tentative agreement with the Missoula Education Association including whole-dollar salary cell increases and longevity stipends.
Missoula County Public Schools trustees approved a slate of routine contract and personnel items and received an update on a tentative teacher contract during the July 15 meeting.
Consent and routine approvals: the board unanimously approved elementary and high-school consent agendas, a transportation agreement with Drummond School District to permit a safe bus stop inside MCPS boundaries, establishment of elementary and high-school bus depreciation reserve funds for recent bus purchases, creation of an enterprise fund for Schoolhouse Meat (the district'operated meat lab) to meet accounting requirements, and an elementary-level lease allowing the Center for Restorative Youth Justice to use modular space at Jefferson School (the lease term cited was 08/01/2025 to 06/30/2026; administration estimated roughly 1,600 square feet across modular units).
Personnel and negotiations: administration presented a personnel report with new hires and internal movements and summarized a tentative agreement reached with the Missoula Education Association on July 2. Administration said the tentative contract would go to MEA members for a ratification vote in August and to the board for approval in September if ratified. Highlights the administration offered included a $25 increase in district contributions to employee insurance, whole-dollar salary-cell increases ($2,526 in the current adjustment and $2,100 next year in prior discussion), a new longevity stipend for teachers with 20, 25 and 30 years of service ($750/$1,000/$1,500), and STARS-related salary protections.
Trustees also reviewed proposed salary adjustments for nonunion employees based on market comparisons; the full-board motion to approve nonunion raises passed unanimously.
Administration said more detailed contract documents and financial impacts would be presented when bargaining items come back to the board for adoption.
