Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Labor topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers tell Kalispell trustees unsettled contract is hurting retention and morale
Summary
During the public‑comment period at a Kalispell Public Schools board meeting, teachers and union members said starting wages and an unsettled collective bargaining agreement are leaving staff "undervalued," forcing second jobs, and risking staff attrition; they urged the district to prioritize educators as negotiations continue.
At a Kalispell Public Schools board meeting, teachers used the public‑comment period to press trustees to settle a collective bargaining agreement and raise starting pay, saying the current situation is harming morale and retention. "The reality is we are struggling financially, emotionally, and professionally," Melissa Smith, a member of the Household Education Association and a Glacier High School teacher, told the board.
Smith and other speakers read results from a membership survey and described concrete strains: multiple teachers holding second jobs, a lack of substitutes for special education, missing textbook materials at a middle school, and staff performing custodial duties to cover gaps. "Make us one of your big rocks," Smith said, asking the district to prioritize educators when setting budget and policy choices.
Several teachers said they had encouraged newly certified colleagues not to seek work in the district because of affordability concerns. "I've been teaching in the district for 29 years … but I've never seen teacher morale so low," one commenter said, describing rising living costs in the Flathead Valley and the difficulty new teachers face securing housing.
Teachers also warned of program impacts: larger class sizes and the potential loss of specialized staff such as paras and tutors if pay and staffing decisions are not addressed. A teacher who said she was working without a textbook and had only a $50 monthly printing budget said that these gaps made it harder to provide consistent instruction.
Board members responded to the speakers and encouraged continued engagement; the chair thanked those who came forward and urged attendees to remain for an administration presentation staff said would inform the negotiation process. No formal decision on contract terms was announced during public comment.
The meeting moved next to personnel business and an extended district presentation on budget options that staff said would shape possible tradeoffs between compensation and staffing levels.
