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Staff member outlines STARS concept paper that would raise minimum teacher pay and alter funding formula
Summary
A Whitehall School District staff member summarized a proposed state funding plan called the STARS concept paper, which would revise the TEACH Act to set a $40,700 minimum teacher salary, create a future-ready payment for postsecondary credits, and modify local funding caps tied to housing costs.
S3, a staff member, presented a concept paper called the STARS proposal that the speaker said would form proposed state legislation to change how Montana funds schools.
"This is a concept paper which will lead to the STARS Act," S3 said, describing six main concepts the proposals target. He said the first would "revise and enhance the TEACH Act, which basically creates a minimum salary of 40,700 for every teacher." He said that the district's current base is lower and that the change would require a funding mechanism to support a higher starting salary.
S3 described a second component, a "future ready payment" intended to reward students who earn postsecondary credits or industry-recognized credentials. "We have 22 kids doing 30 credits," S3 said, estimating the district could receive about "$800 to $1,600 per kid" under that component if enacted.
The staff member also summarized a proposal to modify the funding formula so districts in higher-cost housing areas could increase their maximum budget limits (S3 cited graduated thresholds tied to percentages of the statewide median housing cost). He said another major concept would increase flexibility and utilization of major-maintenance aid for large projects such as roofs and boilers, and the final concept would ensure the state gets credit for funding provided outside the main formula so reporting and equalization are more accurate.
S3 named the two House members sponsoring the concept as Representative Lou Jones of Conrad and Representative David Beatty of Hamilton and said the bill "has a very good chance of passing" given current legislative control.
Why it matters: district staff framed the proposal as a potential source of much-needed revenue that could support teacher pay, facility repairs and incentives for postsecondary coursework. The board did not vote on the proposal; S3 asked whether there were questions and the meeting moved to other business.
Next steps: S3 said the document is a concept paper that could lead to formal legislation; no formal board action on the proposal was recorded at this meeting.
