Starting Montana teacher salaries lowest in nation

HELENA - Starting teachers in Montana earned the least amount of money in the country in 2002-03, and their more senior colleagues didn't fare much better, a new national report shows.

State officials point to a drop in school funding over the past dozen years for the disparity, which they say is costing students a quality education and making it hard to recruit teachers.

The survey, released today by the American Federation of Teachers, shows that Montana's 10,427 public school teachers made an average of $35,754 in 2002-03, the most recent figures available. Starting teachers earned just $23,052, the survey found.

Teachers made 28 percent more nationally both as new hires and more experienced teachers, earning on average of $29,564 and $45,771, respectively.

Montana, ranked 47th in average salary, also was outpaced regionally. Neighboring Idaho was 32nd in average salaries at $39,784; Utah 38th at $38,268; and Wyoming 42nd at $37,789. North Dakota was 49th at $33,869 and South Dakota last at $32,414.

Starting salaries in North Dakota were just $541 higher than Montana. But Montana trailed Wyoming by more than $2,000 and Idaho by more than $3,000, the survey said.

Edward McElroy, secretary-treasurer for the American Federation of Teachers, said such disparity cannot continue much longer.

''Exorbitant health insurance costs are taking an intolerable bite out of already inadequate teacher salaries,'' he said. ''Teachers are being asked to do more, shortages persist in the most challenging areas to teach, yet compensation packages are insulting.''

Montana's dismal ranking was no surprise to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch and other education officials.

State education funding has been dropping since the early 1990s, when lawmakers used millions of dollars in education money to balance the budget, McCulloch.

Since that time, the state's share of school funding has dropped from 71.4 percent to about 61 percent, leaving taxpayers to foot about 30 percent of the bill, which includes teacher salaries, McCulloch said.

A District Court judge in April declared Montana's school funding system unconstitutional, ruling the state isn't paying its proper share. The state has appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court.

Regardless of the court case, the state's share of school funding must return to pre-1990 levels, when Montana teacher salaries matched national averages, McCulloch said.

''Providing our children with a quality education, that very much depends on having quality teachers in every single classroom,'' she said.

Incentives, such as helping new teachers pay back an average $20,000 in student loans, would also help recruitment at a time when many Montana teachers are retiring, McCulloch said.

''Obviously, if we're the poorest paying state in the union for beginning salaries, it does not bode well for recruitment of teachers,'' said Eric Feaver with the state teacher's union, MEA-MFT.

Feaver said he believes change lies in the school funding litigation or a shift in teacher contracts, such as Helena's new salary schedule that promises starting teachers $30,000 a year.

The school district has since drawn a record number of applications.

''All that proves is that teachers will work for money,'' Feaver said. ''If you put enough on the table for them to stay in Montana they'll do it.''

Sen. Corey Stapleton, R-Billings, said legislation that would give some new teachers $10,000 signing bonuses will also be introduced again this next legislative session after failing in 2003.

''There's nothing that says in the early years, when new and young teachers not only have college debt but are being lured away by states that have (payback) programs, that we can't do that in kind,'' Stapleton said.

On the Net:

American Federation of Teachers: http://www.aft.org

Montana Office of Public Instruction: http://www.opi.state.mt.us

MEA-MFT: http://www.mea-mft.org