Montana News Roundup: Montana Teachers to Make More Money

Montana teachers will be getting some pay raises thanks to a $100 million infusion of state funding that's cleared the final hurdle in the Legislature.

The STARS Act was approved Tuesday afternoon with strong bipartisan support. About the only opposition to the measure came from a handful of GOP lawmakers who are generally critical of public K-12 education.

HB 252 has numerous features, but is getting the most attention because of the features that provide a mechanism for Montana school districts to tap the additional state funding so that they can provide more competitive wages for starting teachers.

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Governor Gianforte said last week the funds will especially help in the state's more rural districts.

"By raising teacher pay and investing in our schools, we're building brighter futures for our teachers and our students." - Governor Greg Gianforte

Here are the details:

• 💵 To qualify for the funding, districts put their teacher base salaries at just over $41,000 a year, with 62% of their teaching staff at that level.

Why it Matters: "We can ensure that students across our state, especially in our rural areas, benefit from a quality education," Gianforte said, noting that's what parents want.

"And they know that for our students to reach their full, outstanding potential, we must be able to recruit the highest quality teachers."

Montana Reservation Jobs are still struggling

Montana's jobless rate is still below 3% for the 6th month in a row, according to the March report from the state.

But the numbers also show continued challenges with unemployment on Montana's Indian Reservations. A closer look shows locations like the Rocky Boy's reservation, with 13.1% of the eligible workers without a job. That is still better than some of Montana's "timber counties," as we've reported earlier. The Flathead Reservation continues to have the lowest unemployment at 4.7%. 

Will names change minds on Missoula's urban deer?

Jason Emery says he started a signup on change.org, hoping to inspire leaders to come together with a cohesive management plan.

READ MORE of Chris Wolfe's story

Unlike places like Helena, Missoula has struggled with the deer problem, largely because of jurisdictional questions.

"Aww hail!"

Applications for Montana's Hail Insurance Program are now open from the Montana Department of Agriculture.

Montana Wayback Wednesday

The Missoula Police Department started on April 23, 1883, when the city council hired William Keyes and Will P. Nugent for $60 per month.

Five years later, the city stipulated they should wear a badge "on the outside of their coat", a "hat with a badge", and a "blue uniform suit".