Teachers, Board Reach Tentative Agreement

The Wolf Point Education Association and Wolf Point School Board came to a tentative agreement during a contract bargaining meeting held last week. The contract is for three years.

The salary schedule will feature a base salary of $38,396 for a 5 percent pay increase for 2025-2026. The salary increase would be 3 percent for 2026-2027 and 2 percent for 2027-2028.

Under the agreement, it is believed that no teacher would be paid less than $41,500 annually. Language reads, “Any cell in the salary matrix that is below either: A. Eleven times the Quality Educator Payment or B. Seventy percent of the ‘teacher average pay’ shall be automatically adjusted upward to the higher of the two amounts.”

School officials note that language makes sure that Wolf Point is in line with Montana’s new STARS Act. To receive the state funds, school districts’ base salaries must be 62 percent of the district’s average teachers’ salary the first year and then the percentage must increase by 2 percent each year until 70 percent is reached. Wolf Point’s contract puts the percent figure at 70 percent from the start.

“If you aren’t, it’s going to be a hassle for the next five years,” Wolf Point Superintendent David Perkins said during an earlier meeting of going to 70 percent right away.

The agreement also features longevity payments for Wolf Point’s most experienced teachers. At the beginning of 15 years of continuous service in the Wolf Point School District, a teacher will receive an additional $1,500. Amounts will be $2,000 at the beginning of the 20th year, $2,500 at the beginning of the 25th year and $3,000 at the beginning of the 30th year of service in Wolf Point.

After the package agreement of a 10 percent salary increase along with longevity pay was made, Perkins said that he feels possible ramifications are “we probably will end up making cuts somewhere.”

Board chair Roxanne Gourneau explained, “We want to meet the needs of teachers, but it comes at a cost.”

The school board opened the meeting with a proposal that included a salary increase of 4 percent for the first year, 2 percent the second year and 2 percent the third year. The education union’s counter proposal was a salary increase of 6 percent the first year, then 3 percent for the second year and 2 percent for the third year of the contract.

The school board then increased its offer to 3 percent for the second year and 2 percent the third year.

After a caucus, the education union returned with the final proposal.