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Bloomfield board votes to seek STARS Act QEP funds; clerk to move from contractor to employee
Summary
The Bloomfield School board unanimously voted to apply for extra QEP payments under the STARS Act (HB252) and approved updates to the district clerk job description so the clerk can qualify for the clerk QEP payment; the clerk will provide salary and contract details at the May meeting.
The Bloomfield School board voted unanimously on April 15 to pursue extra QEP payments available under the STARS Act (HB252) and directed the district clerk to prepare for a change from contractor to employee status.
Stacy Whitmer, the district clerk, told the board she had updated the clerk job description to meet the bill's qualification requirements and that Montana Code Annotated (MCA) requires districts to employ a clerk rather than contract one if the position meets the statutory definition. Whitmer said becoming an employee would alter her tax and retirement obligations, including participation in the MPERA retirement system and employer contributions to a PERS account, and that she would need a different pay structure to keep her current net take-home pay.
"In the event I become an employee I would like all of the QEP payments available for the clerk," Whitmer told the board and provided scenarios showing how employer contributions and taxes would affect net pay. The transcript did not include the specific dollar amounts for the QEP awards for certified staff or clerks.
Chris Raisl moved that the district qualify for and apply for the extra QEP funding through the STARS Act; Shawn Walker seconded and "all were in favor," the minutes record. The board asked Whitmer to calculate what salary and contract terms would preserve her current net pay and to prepare a draft employment contract for consideration at the May meeting.
County Superintendent Deanne Smith and Whitmer reviewed eligibility criteria for the QEP payments and how the program applies to both certified staff and the clerk. The board's decision to pursue the funding is intended to make additional quality-enhancement pay available to staff while bringing the clerk's position into compliance with MCA requirements.
Next steps: Whitmer will return to the board in May with detailed pay scenarios and a draft contract; the board's vote to apply does not itself finalize any individual employment contracts or salary changes.
