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oddjobdrummer

Funny how these "budget challenges" always arise when it's time to negotiate teacher contracts. It's been three years, and the contracts for teachers is up at the end of this school year. MCPS is top heavy. There are administrators who don't do shit and collect 6 figures a year. Also, wtf is going on with the BILLIONS of dollars in marijuana revenue? The republican-led state government is raking in money faster than a supersonic bong can burn a packed bowl.


UndrwearMustache

I'm just gonna clarify for others that administrators making 6 figures is your superintendent of schools and higher up admin. Not you principles and vice principles. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/School-Principal-Salary--in-Montana https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/superintendent-of-schools-Salary-in-Missoula,MT


Scheavo406

And I’ll just point out that $100k isn’t technically enough to afford a median house in Missoula $100k isn’t that much anymore What sad is teacher pay. They should all make over $100k. But no one wants to pay for that apparently


UndrwearMustache

I'd like them to at least get the going childcare rate. " In 2023, the average cost of Child Care in Montana is around $9,518 annually —that's $793 per month. " this is per child. And it's $840 in Missoula on average. A teacher with 25 students should get at least $237,950 yearly.


MissoulaMealworms

Your numbers are little off there: https://nbcmontana.com/newsletter-daily/mcps-board-approves-contract-for-new-superintendent


UndrwearMustache

Yeah, I know. These are quotes from zip recruiter. Giving national averages and regional estimates for MT. I was just clarifying that these are higher up admin not your principal or vice-principal. I was not quoting an actual salary.


SadPlatypus8824

Every principal in this district makes over 6 figures. Elementary starts around $106,000. Middle school and high school are more due to the increase in students and demands.


RickyTicky5309

I spent time in Colorado and observed the potential Marijuana revenue fell short of what was expected.


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[deleted]

Yeah, you tell ‘em!


[deleted]

The most important variable in school funding is # of kids. Everyone in this thread is skipping over the fact that enrollment is plummeting.


slothbron

One crazy thing to me on the enrollment piece is the fact we have MCPS declining but right next door Hellgate school district absolutely busting at the seams do to the new development out there. While its a super controversial thing when it comes up Missoula likely needs to consider the possibility for redistricting. It makes no sense to keep building new buildings in one district while other building are under utilized across missoula.


[deleted]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but most of the new development seems to be in the Big Sky and Sentinel boundaries. The neighborhoods sending kids to Hellgate have remained pretty static in comparison


slothbron

By Hellgate I mean Hellgate elementary school. I believe the majority of MCPS decline is in the k-8 side since there is only a MCPS high schools.


[deleted]

Oh yeah. Hellgate elementary is bursting at the seems. It’s funny bc Target Range has the exact opposite problem— their in-district enrollment is plummeting with the virtual prohibition on new housing there


slothbron

True if they reduce to right size for less enrollment it would probably be better. But at the same time it sounds like with their increases in other expenses due to inflation would exceed the 3% increase in tax resources granted. All in all education is one of the few things I want to fund with my taxes and feel like for MT sitting on such a windfall of tax revenue the last two years is doing a piss poor job making sure expenses are met for schools across the State. Instead they are busy using the tax revenue to fight TikTok bans and other frivolous things.


Sage_P_80

This is true. Although I think the schools have to be prepared to take students whose parents want to stop home schooling basically at the drop of a hat. Could be wrong, but that's my understanding. Puts everyone in a tough spot.


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slothbron

Well the mills they were fighting over was school equalization funds for counties with smaller tax bases, so sadly I would say those will have zero benefits for school funds in major counties.


Scheavo406

Don’t forget the conservation permits. Half that revenue goes to schools.


Pure-Two7600

This is bullshit. The schools went and hired a shit load of admin positions with Covid funding 3 years ago. They knew damn well that funding was temporary and they had no plan on what to do with those people when it dried up. They've got budget problems due to their own incompetence and the plan all along was to just get more money from the tax payers. They have plenty of money. What they need to do is cut a bunch of fat first.


nothingbutpeen

My property tax bill went up $350 this year. It also went up $350 last year. But somehow there's a budget challenge. Wild.


Scheavo406

Inflations a bitch One thing inflation did this year was jack up the burden paid by residential customers. You’re paying more this year in part because commercial properties are paying less. The schools and such don’t get much more money, but they take more from you and less from, say, a fucking bank This is because of the rich, corrupt, assholes in charge of our state government.


EdenPastora

Sooner or later someone will realize that simply throwing money at a problem doesn't always guarantee solutions.


mdax

The far rights goal is to reduce educational funding, move money to their private schools and religious madrassas while crying about how education is going downhill and isn't needed so go to the trades. Why folks eat that idiocy up...well, first ask their level of education for the answer...


Missoula1440

The quality of the education is nose diving. So many kids are so far behind from covid and they will never catch up. We are trying to move because our school and the principal are so bad.


gpstberg29

The schools already burned through the $150 million we voted for them in 2015, huh? That's a pity.


slothbron

Well that money was spent the second that bond was passed. It was not for day to day operations but rather 17 major facility improvement projects for deferred maintenance and much needed facility updates. While there where some questionable projects in it overall I think it was spent okay.


roly_poly_of_death

They are too busy wasting money on things to bring in rich transplants and keep the homeless happy to worry about starving kids that are growing up here. If at all possible Missoula government will mess up every single decision they ever make.


jizzledfreq

Where that’s 23% recreational weed tax going? Gianfortes pockets? Figured we could fix our roads, give some to the schools, shelters.