Collective Bargaining Teachers, Board Want More Information
When representatives from the Wolf Point Education Association and Wolf Point School Board met for collective bargaining on Thursday, May 8, it was agreed that more information is needed to be obtained regarding the new STARS legislation.
Earlier that day, Gov. Gianforte signed the STARS Act, or Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success Act. Through the act, the state invests up to $100 million to raise teachers’ pay with recruiting new teachers as a strong focus.
The challenge seems to be that in order to qualify for the STARS funding, school districts’ base salary must be 62 percent of the district’s average teachers’ salary for the first year of 2025-2026. That 62 percent figures increases by 2 percent each following year until reaching 70 percent.
Wolf Point Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perkins feels that the teachers’ overall salary schedule needs to be narrowed in order to reach the required percentage levels for new instructors.
“The 70 percent will be a problem if we don’t adjust,” Perkins said.
Wolf Point Education Association president Patricia Toavs said no school district will hit those levels if they don’t adjust.
Under the STARS Act, local school officials believe the school district will still receive a quality education payment of $3,783 per certified teacher. If requirements of the STARS Act are followed, that $3,783 amount doubles per teacher in the first year. It is believed that the normal quality education payment will increase in following years to $3,896, then $3,994, then $4,093 and then $4,196. Some teachers at the meeting said they think the STARS Act doubles those amounts each year, but school officials didn’t feel that’s the case.
“We need to look at the STARS more closely,” Perkins said. He plans to reach out to state officials around the state for more information.
Toavs also plans to discuss the act with state teachers’ unions.
No new salary proposals were presented at the meeting. The Wolf Point Education Association’s proposal is for an increase of 8 percent of the base salary to $39,493 in the first year, an increase of 4 percent to $40,956 in the second year and an increase of 4 percent to $42,419 in the third year. Toavs said the union is waiting for the school board’s next counterproposal.
The next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, May 22, at 5:30 p.m. in the high school library.
