Montana
Educators, parents get behind bill to boost starting teacher pay in Montana | Explore Big Sky
Legislation also offers incentives for student achievement, housing help for costly districts
By Keila Szpaller DAILY MONTANAN
Molly Blakely has taught teachers in Montana, the “best and brightest,” and they’ve asked her what they can earn in the Treasure State.
Blakely, who has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Montana for 18 years, said when she offers an honest answer to their questions in an interview prep class, the future teachers ask one question: “How do I get certified (to teach) in another state?”
State institutions are doing great work training teachers, Blakely said, but Montana is losing them, and a bill to increase starting teacher pay would help.
Blakely and other educators testified Wednesday before the House Education committee in favor of House Bill 252, the Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success, or STARS Act, intended to boost teacher pay.
“Those teachers are leaving for one reason, and one reason only, and it’s for finances,” said Blakely, also superintendent of Hellgate Elementary School District in Missoula.
In Lolo, Superintendent Dale Olinger said recruiting and retaining teachers is harder than it has ever been. Olinger said staff share housing to make ends meet, and many teachers work second jobs.
“I have many staff with a side hustle,” Olinger said. “It used to be a joke. Now, it’s not.”
In Montana, 26% of teachers work second jobs and earn an extra $4,700 on average, according to a Department of Labor and Industry Report from December 2024. The report said average earnings increase their pay by roughly 8%.
Olinger said the STARS Act could mean another $185,000 for the moderately sized district, and it would also help special education cooperatives, which support multiple districts, and district clerks.
Montana has struggled to offer starting teachers competitive pay. Legislation from 2023 tried to help, but just half of the school districts in Montana were able to tap into it last school year after the Office of Public Instruction bungled the data collection.
According to the DLI report, Montana’s full-time entry-level teachers earned an average salary of $38,800 in the 2022-2023 school year. It’s less than the national average of $44,530 and ranks Montana 46th among states.
Montana is also the lowest for starting teachers compared to surrounding states, the report said; Idaho is closest at $41,179, and Wyoming is highest, at $48,622.
At the meeting, STARS Act sponsor and Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, outlined the bill’s provisions to help teachers and students.
The comprehensive legislation aims to not only boost new teacher pay, but close an inflation gap in public education, help districts in high-cost housing areas, and provide incentives to help students advance, among other provisions.
The Coalition of Advocates for Montana Public Schools described the bill as a “pivotal advancement” in school funding, increasing base salaries for teachers, offering incentives to recruit and retain educators, and expanding learning opportunities for students.
Teachers, parents, trustees, and other members of the public spilled into the hall in a room at the Capitol and testified remotely to support the bill. No one opposed it, although some said it could do more for veteran teachers and worried that a mechanism that ties funding to salary benchmarks could be a barrier for districts.
Melissa Smith, representing the Kalispell Education Association, said her district has seen school levies fail, it faces a reduction in force, and recent contract negotiations hinge on approval of the bill.
“We fought for months to raise teacher salaries, particularly for new educators,” said Smith, a teacher with Glacier High School.
However, Smith said the district still faces a reduction in force, and she worries that if struggling districts can’t push up salaries the way the bill requires, they’ll miss out on funding.
A voluntary incentive in the bill offers districts more money if they incrementally bump up starting teacher pay from 62% to 70% of their average pay, a tool designed to decrease the wide salary spread between newer and experienced teachers in Montana.
According to Lance Melton, the executive director of the Montana School Boards Association, other states that rank similarly in both starting teacher salaries and average teacher salaries typically compensate beginning teachers at approximately 70% of the average salary for teachers overall. Melton testified on behalf of the Coalition of Advocates for Montana’s Public Schools.
Although Smith raised a concern about the bill, she said the association supports the legislation.
“The Kalispell Education Association believes House Bill 252 has the potential to uplift Montana schools and provide increased opportunity for our students and their learning,” Smith said.
The Montana Federation of Public Employees also spoke for it.
Supporters came from schools and government agencies, a nonprofit group that supports public education, and one focused on limited government. They included newly sworn Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen, Commissioner of Labor Sarah Swanson, and the Governor’s Office.
Dylan Klapmeier, education and workforce policy advisor for Gov. Greg Gianforte, said the Governor’s Office committed $100 million to increase teacher pay and raise student outcomes as reflected in the bill. In particular, Klapmeier praised the focus on helping students get a jump start on college and careers.
A fiscal analysis of the bill has been requested but is not yet available.
The bill also aims to decrease disparities between educators in urban and rural areas. It offers tools such as stipends to help teachers with housing in costly districts; creates a school funding data dashboard for transparency; and offers incentives for districts to share resources, along with other proposals.
Jacob Warner, a math teacher at Capital High School in Helena and recipient of a presidential award for excellence in teaching from the White House, said the STARS Act is a good first step to improving education.
Warner said teachers have not had it easy lately. He said class sizes have gone up, teachers are being asked to teach extra, and inflation is eating at the budget.
“Every spring, phenomenal teachers in my building get pink slips, causing uncertainty, stress for them, their families and their students,” Warner said.
Although Warner said recruiting teachers is important, he said retaining veterans is critical too, and salaries for all teachers should be increased — but the money is not there.
Warner said districts need dollars for other essentials, and his children’s school had to hold a fundraiser to fix a boiler.
“A boiler is not a want. A boiler is a need,” Warner said.
In response to questions from Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, Jane Shawn, a union president in Helena, estimated one-third or so of teachers hold second jobs. She said it’s not just the younger ones, but teachers with as many as 35 years of experience who have “side hustles.”
The DLI report said the rate of teachers who work other jobs is consistent across district size, and teachers who leave the profession earn higher wages in other industries. It also said teachers are more likely than other workers to hold more than one job.
In Eureka, Superintendent Joel Graves said the district interviewed a teacher for construction in CTE, career and technical education, one who would have been a great fit for the community, but they couldn’t agree on a salary or find the candidate a place to live.
The district started building tiny houses for teachers, but school districts can’t afford to stay in that business, and he said the bill will help.
Steve Thennis, with MOFE, Montanans Organized for Education, praised the support for educational costs such as advanced placement exams and incentives for housing.
“In my time as an administrator, I lost countless candidates for open positions due to their inability to find affordable housing,” said Thennis, who worked in Helena.
Keaton Sunchild, with Western Native Voice, said the bill will help rural schools and many on reservations. He said it supports language immersion and Montana Indian Education for All, “programs that in the past have been neglected or left behind.”
Charlie Snellman, a student and member of the Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees, said he will attend Johns Hopkins University next year for a double major in violin and cello performance and molecular biology, with a goal to attend medical school.
Snellman said his opportunities have been “phenomenal.” However, he also said struggling teachers hurt student morale and have a detrimental effect on their educational experience, and high turnover makes it difficult to develop relationships with them.
“I’ve had the pleasure of maintaining great relationships with my teachers throughout my high school career, and have been given excellent opportunities, and I only hope that students after me will be given the same opportunities,” Snellman said.
In Havre, Tim Scheele said he’s a trustee and parent, and he said if teachers have to get second jobs just to afford to feed themselves, they will be less focused on students. Scheele also said turnover means teachers don’t get to know a community.
“The more turnover you have, the less dynamic your teaching staff can be,” Scheele said.
The Frontier Institute’s Kendall Cotton said his organization is conservative but supports the bill because it puts money where it should go, to teachers, and not just to things like facilities. Cotton said he hopes student achievement increases as a result.
In response to questions about the lack of funds for more experienced teachers in the bill, Jones said resources are scarce, and the bill is targeted, designed to improve a persistent problem in Montana of low pay for starting teachers.
Jones said school boards have local control, and they are free to increase pay for teachers at the higher end as they wish. However, he said those who want money from the legislation will bring the bottom up.
“We’ve been cannibalizing young teachers for a long time. It’s time we stop,” Jones said.
The committee didn’t take immediate action on the bill.
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) Most of Montana’s Congressional delegation is once again sponsoring a bill to remove three study areas from consideration as designated wilderness.
On Wednesday, Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy and Rep. Troy Downing reintroduced Daines’ “Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act,” which would remove three wilderness study areas from wilderness consideration, releasing them to be managed as regular federal land. Rep. Ryan Zinke was not listed as a sponsor.
Two areas – the 11,580-acre Wales Creek and the 11,380-acre Hoodoo wilderness study areas managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management – are 40 to 50 miles east of Missoula in the Garnet Range north of Interstate 90. The third area, the much larger Middle Fork Judith wilderness study area, is around 81,000 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the Little Belt Mountains southeast of Great Falls.
Daines previously introduced the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act in 2023, but it was never heard in committee. Now, he’s bringing it forward again, and he explained his strangely titled bill in a press release Wednesday.
“As a lifelong sportsman, increasing access to Montana’s great outdoors is one of my top priorities. The ‘Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act’ promotes our outdoor way of life by returning restrictive WSA’s to general public land management, which will improve wildlife habitat restoration, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and unlock better access to public land,” Daines said in the release.
It should be noted that neither hunting nor fishing are prohibited in wilderness study areas. In the past, sportsmen’s organizations have opposed the wholesale elimination of wilderness study areas. However, some have indicated they are considering the Wales Creek and Hoodoo areas could serve as political sacrifices to save other areas.
The wildfire risk in the Hoodoo area was significantly reduced this summer after the Windy Rock Fire burned a majority of the area.
Daines first proposed a similar bill – the Protect Public Use of Public Lands Act – in 2018 to release five Forest Service wilderness study areas, including the Middle Fork Judith. Former Rep. Greg Gianforte joined him but increased the number of wilderness study areas on the chopping block to 29, including those under BLM management. Both politicians had based their legislation off feedback from a select group of conservative counties and user groups, including the Montana Stockgrowers Association and the Montana Snowmobile Association. Other organizations protested the bills and the lack of transparency during the process.
This most recent bill is supported by the Montana Logging Association, Montana Snowmobiles Association, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Great Falls Bicycle Club and the Judith Basin and Powell county commissioners.
In 1976, the BLM established 38 wilderness study areas in Montana, including the Wales Creek and Hoodoo areas. In 1977, the Montana Wilderness Study Act set nine Forest Service study areas aside for wilderness consideration, including the Middle Fork Judith. Federal evaluations of the areas conducted during the 1980s concluded some areas, including the three being considered in the bill, weren’t suitable for wilderness designation.
This year’s bill cites the 2020 BLM Missoula Office Resource Management Plan as justification for eliminating the Wales Creek and Hoodoo wilderness study areas. The plan said the two areas were unsuitable for wilderness designation.
However, the plan was not developed during “a 5-year collaborative process,” as the bill claims, but under the direction of the first Trump administration, which ignored a lot of public comments made during scoping. The three resource management plans for Missoula, Lewistown and Miles City were scheduled to be released to the public in late 2018, but they were delayed when the three offices were required to send the drafts to Washington, D.C., for review and revision. When they were returned and published in May 2019, all three draft plans heavily emphasized natural resources extraction.
A Pew Charitable Trust review of six BLM resource management plans drafted in 2019 found all “would fail to conserve lands that the agency’s own research has deemed worthy of protection; cut decades-old safeguards; minimally protect a fraction of 1% of the areas found to contain wilderness characteristics; and open vast swaths of public lands to energy and mineral development.”
Several Montana conservation organizations protested the Montana plans, including Wild Montana and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. When the draft plans were finalized in early 2020, some changes had been made to cater to sportsmen, but resource extraction still dominated. The Missoula Office’s new objective was to “produce the greatest quantities of forest products from vegetation restoration activities.”
The 2020 plans created a new designation – backcountry conservation area – that allows resource extraction but prioritizes the long-term maintenance of big game populations for hunting. The Missoula plan proposes to manage its three wilderness study areas as wilderness unless Congress releases them. Then, if Daines’ bill passes, portions of the wilderness study areas would become backcountry conservation areas: a 6,100-acre Hoodoos BCA and a 2,365-acre Wales BCA, according to the plan. The remainder of each area is open to any and all uses.
During the 2025 Legislature, the Senate Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee voted 9-4 against a resolution calling on Congress to remove protection from Montana’s wilderness study areas. More than 3,300 Montanans signed a petition opposing the bill and supporting local solutions for study area management.
Some anticipate that more roads will invade wilderness study areas once they’re no longer protected. Zach Angstead, Wild Montana federal policy director, said Daines has countered those claims by saying the areas will still be protected under the Roadless Rule. But now, the Trump administration is on the verge of repealing the Roadless Rule, so that level of protection could disappear. And Daines strongly supports repeal of the Roadless Rule, according to a Dec. 5 email from a Daines spokesperson to the Flathead Beacon.
“Sen. Daines’ push to remove (wilderness study area) protections and roll back the Roadless Rule show that this isn’t about better local management – it’s about opening Montana’s public lands up to large-scale development to benefit corporations, not Montanans,” Angstead said in a statement. “Managing (wilderness study areas) properly requires local collaborative solutions developed by the people who know these places best. The people and the legislature have made it clear that Daines needs to give up this unpopular crusade to undermine and dismantle public lands and start taking his cues from real people who have been working to shape the future of (wilderness study areas).”
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.
The National Weather Service in Great Falls issued a rare civil emergency message on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, as a destructive windstorm pummeled Montana from one end of the state to the other, with some of the strongest gusts recorded in central Montana.
The weather service expected wind gusts greater than 90 mph in Pondera, Teton, and Lewis & Clark counties, prompting the emergency alert that activated the wireless emergency alert system to send warnings directly to cellphones.
Rare emergency alert issued as destructive windstorm batters Montana
“It can be used for weather or non-weather reasons. The primary reason why we deployed it today was to activate the wireless emergency alert system – WEA. That will allow these alerts to go to a person’s cellphone to take immediate action,” said Maura Casey, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The civil emergency message was the first issued by the weather service since December 2020, during a similar wind and dust storm between Great Falls and Havre. The National Weather Service coordinates with county emergency managers to decide when to issue this rare alert.
What made Wednesday’s event particularly widespread was its prolonged nature and the strength of the accompanying cold front.
“This belt of wind came from the west and with how strong the cold front was accompanying it, it was able to reach down to the surface. What makes this event unique is it’s more of a prolonged wind event. It’s the entire day that we’re experiencing these strong winds,” Casey said.
The windstorm didn’t just hit the plains. Some typically protected mountain valleys experienced destructive wind gusts, with 70 to 80 mph gusts recorded in the Helena and Gallatin valleys.
“The more complex topography make it a little bit difficult south of Great Falls. In this case, because we had that belt of winds that came right over Helena and Bozeman – they essentially had a closer access to that wind,” Casey said.
The powerful winds toppled semi trucks and trees across the region, and knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of people across the state.
Windstorm damage across Montana
The destructive winds stem from an extremely active weather pattern that has been pummeling the Pacific Northwest with flooding rains, heavy mountain snow and high winds.
“We remain in the same very active Pacific weather pattern. While we have high confidence – maybe not as strong as today- but we will get more wind events in the coming weeks,” Casey said.
The weather service recommends staying prepared by keeping up with the latest forecast, especially given the active pattern that doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
(Update 11:00 a.m.)
- All lanes closed on US-93 near Evaro due to fallen trees.
- All lanes closed on MT-200 east of Bonner due to fallen trees.
(Update 10:40 a.m.) The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has issued an emergency wind and travel warning for the Bitterroot.
The warning states that “due to extreme winds, which are causing trees to fall into roadways and taking down power lines, as well as creating very dangerous driving conditions, the RCSO is advising that people not travel until the wind event decreases.”
High-profile vehicles should not travel in Ravalli County at this time.
Ravalli County 911 is also currently being overwhelmed with calls. Residents are asked to only report immediate emergencies to 911.
The Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center is open. To report non-emergent storm-related events in the Bitterroot, you’re asked to call the EOC at 406-375-6650.
(Update 10:15 a.m.) The reports of damage around Western Montana are rolling in Wednesday morning as thousands remain without power, especially in the northwestern corner.
As trees topple across the area, officials are urging travelers to use caution.
Trees have blocked access to several roads in the region. Here’s the road report as of 10 a.m.:
- MT-35 is CLOSED from milepost 2.8 to 6
- Southbound lanes are blocked on US-93 north of Somers due to a semi blow over
- Tree down and blocking southbound lanes on US-93 near Ronan
- Tree blocking all lanes on MT-35 east of Polson.
- Power lines down blocking on lanes on US-2 west of Marion.
- Severe driving conditions on US-12 from Lolo to Lolo Pass due to downed trees
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice at 9:40 a.m. that the county is under emergency travel only.
To the south, the Missoula Police Department requested necessary travel only in the city.
The Frenchtown Rural Fire District put out a public service announcement asking people to stay home and off the roads.
Power outages are still impacting several areas of Western Montana too.
NorthWestern Energy’s outage map at 10:10 a.m. showed hundreds of customers were in the dark in Missoula, Mineral, and Sanders counties. Flathead Electric shows thousands of people without power in Flathead and Lincoln counties.
Traffic signals are out in the City of Kalispell. All intersections with dark stoplights must be treated as a 4-way stop.
- Come to a complete stop
- Take turns — first to stop goes first
- Yield to pedestrians
- Proceed slowly and cautiously
Kalispell’s popular Woodland Park is closed due to heavy winds and hazardous conditions.
The weather has closed the following schools for Wednesday (this list will be updated):
- Clinton
- Frenchtown
- Libby
- Marion
- Noxon
- Pleasant Valley
- St. Regis
- Superior
- Troy
- West Glacier
High winds tore off the roof of Jefferson School in Missoula. The school is not currently serving students.
Micah Hill / MCPS Superintendent
This article will be updated throughout the day. Please follow KPAX’s Facebook page for the latest information too.
(Update 9:45 a.m.)
- MT-35 is CLOSED from milepost 2.8 to 6.
- Southbound lanes are blocked on US-93 north of Somers due to a semi blow over.
(Update 9:15 a.m.) Montana Department of Transportation reporting several new incidents.
- Tree down and blocking southbound lanes on US-93 near Ronan
- Tree blocking all lanes on MT-35 east of Polson.
- Power lines down blocking on lanes on US-2 west of Marion.
- Severe driving conditions on US-12 from Lolo to Lolo Pass due to downed trees.
(Update 9:08 a.m.) Hazardous conditions are wreaking havoc across the City of Missoula causing the Missoula Police Department to ask the community to only travel if absolutely necessary.
In a press release at 9:10 a.m., MPD stated that high winds have created dangerous conditions, including reduced vehicle control, blowing debris, and the potential for downed trees and power lines.
If you cannot avoid traveling right now, you’re asked to:
- Reduce speed
- Be alert for debris in roadways
- Watch for downed trees, power lines, and damaged traffic signals
- Avoid parking near trees or unstable structures
Do not touch anything, including a tree, that may be in contact with power lines. If you see a downed power line, you’re asked to call NorthWestern Energy at 888-467-2669.
For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency assistance, contact the Missoula Police Department at 406-552-6300.
(Update 9:03 a.m.) A MEANS alert for Missoula County for drivers to be cautious driving due to high winds, several hazards and extreme conditions.
(UPDATE 8:55 a.m.)
Frenchtown School District has cancelled school. Parents should pick up their student from the school to ensure they are supervised and safe as they transition back home. If parents are unable to pick students up, buses will run at 10:00 to return students home. Phones are also out at the South Campus.
(UPDATE: 8:28 a.m.) The storm is hitting Sanders County hard.
Just after 8 a.m., the Community Ambulance Service of W. Sanders Co. posted that power is out in parts of the area and that strong winds are creating extremely dangerous conditions.
Live power lines are across roads, there are reports of falling trees and debris, and some travel routes have become impassable.
Officials are telling people to not travel unless it’s absolutely necessary. School in Noxon has been canceled.
Meanwhile in Mineral County, St. Regis Schools and the Superior School District have also canceled classes.
Due to fallen power lines, Superior Schools will not send the buses back out.
School officials are asking families to pick up their students Wednesday morning. If you’re unable to do so, you’re asked to call Logan Labbe 406-822-2285 to make accommodations.
(1st Report – 8:20 a.m.) The strong Pacific cold front that is moving through Washington has now arrived in Western Montana Wednesday morning.
Power outages have already been reported all across Western Montana including the Interstate 90 corridor from Lookout Pass to Alberton and in Northwest Montana, thousands of residents are without power in the Libby and surrounding areas. For updates on outages check Northwestern Energy Outage map and Flathead Electric Co-Op outage viewers.
Northwestern Energy
There is also reports of road hazards. According to the Montana Department of Transportation a powerline is down on Highway 56 near Noxon. Several trees are also down across Highway 56 between Troy and Noxon.
Interstate 90 westbound lanes at mm 15, west of Superior, are blocked due to downed trees.
MDT
Click here for live map of road closures.
Stay with KPAX for updates on this storm throughout the day.
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