HELENA — The Montana Senate has given initial approval to a bill that would provide more funding to school districts if they increase their basic teacher pay.
House Bill 252, known as the STARS Act, passed 40-10 Tuesday. It will go to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee before a possible final vote on the Senate floor.
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The STARS Act makes a number of changes to school funding laws, including offering additional funding to districts that increase their lowest teacher salary to more than $41,000. It would also create additional financial incentives, like for districts to expand dual credit and career and technical education programs.
Leaders with the Montana Federation of Public Employees, the union that represents public school teachers in the state, say HB 252 is a positive step – but not enough.
“I don't want to denigrate the success, and I don't want to criticize the Legislature too much – because we’ll take it,” MFPE President Amanda Curtis told MTN. “But we all know that $45 or $50 million for public schools barely counts as a band-aid. And to put strings on it that will strangle some schools from getting the funding is still problematic.”
MFPE held a rally outside the State Capitol on Friday, in conjunction with their annual conference in Helena.
Curtis said MFPE was grateful for the success of the state employee pay plan, including a $1 per hour or 2.5% pay increase. It passed the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte last month.
The union is also watching Senate Bill 7, which would allow Montana Highway Patrol troopers and sheriff’s deputies to receive their pensions earlier.
In 2023, the Legislature voted to require newly hired members of the Highway Patrol Officers’ Retirement System and Sheriffs’ Retirement System to work 20 years and reach the age of 50 before they begin drawing their pensions. SB 7 would reverse that change, so that those officers would only need to work 20 years to be eligible.
SB 7 has passed the House and Senate, but has not yet gone to Gianforte’s desk.
“We’re really excited to see a package of bills pass this session that undoes the wrongs from 2023,” said Curtis. “We're worried right now that those are going to be made part of some kind of dealmaking, and we’re encouraging the governor to sign Senate Bill 7 and for the Legislature and the governor to pass and sign the other bills that are fixes to those law enforcement pensions.”
