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Board approves pay increases for nonunion staff, retirement incentive and substitute bonuses
Summary
Trustees approved a set of personnel actions including nonunion and administrative pay increases, a $30,000 prorated early-retirement incentive to reduce possible layoffs, and a four-part substitute recruitment incentive package, all intended to stabilize staffing while the district manages budget shortfalls.
The Kalispell Public Schools Board approved multiple personnel measures intended to shore up staffing and align nonunion pay with newly negotiated certified-staff increases.
Nonunion and administrative pay: The board approved a nonunion pay increase of 4% in the first year and 3% in the second year, with administrative increases tied to the highest-paid certified teacher. Trustees debated whether to use percentage or fixed-dollar approaches and whether to further subdivide nonunion categories, but ultimately approved the proposal (motion carried with one dissent).
Early-retirement incentive: To reduce the scale of potential reductions in force, the board approved a memorandum of agreement offering a $30,000 early-retirement incentive, prorated by part-time status. Administrators described the program as a short-term tool to encourage voluntary retirements and ease RIF pressure; staff cautioned it may not produce net savings unless a substantial number of employees opt in.
Substitute incentives: Facing a chronic substitute shortage, the board approved a four-part plan: raising daily substitute pay to $100 (no bachelor’s degree) and $110 (with a degree), session-based bonuses for substituting during defined time blocks, a $100 referral bonus (if the referred substitute works at least five days), and a mentor/shadowing program to help people move between grade bands. The program will be retroactive to Aug. 28 to capture recent substitute work.
Board direction and context: Trustees repeatedly framed these measures as responses to a constrained budget environment and the district’s need to retain teaching capacity. The early-retirement incentive was described as likely to help if more than roughly 20 staff accept it; administrators said the district averaged just under 15 retirements per year in recent years and that a larger uptake would be required for net savings.
Implementation follow-ups: Staff were directed to return with final implementation details, timelines for any retroactive pay and an update on the program’s estimated fiscal impact.
