Gianforte visiting Sunnyside school in Havre Thursday

Gov. Greg Gianforte will be in Havre Thursday at Sunnyside Intermediate Schools visiting Havre Public Schools faculty, administration and school board members.

Superintendent Craig Mueller said the focus of the visit is on the impacts of a bill passed in the 2021 Legislature intended to increase the pay rate for starting teachers.

The bill, House Bill 143 sponsored by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, says that Montana pubic school districts have made significant progress in increasing the average pay of teachers in the last 15 years but have not made comparable progress in providing more competitive base pay — the lowest salary for a beginning teacher in the district — and providing more competitive base pay for teachers will improve teacher recruitment.

The bill provides funding incentives for districts meeting the legislative goal for competitive base pay.

Mueller said Havre Public Schools is participating in the incentives and has teachers whose salaries have been raised significantly because of it.

“I am interested in hearing about what other initiatives the governor has for the recruitment and retention of teachers,” Mueller said. “I hope that there is support for HB 143 for it to continue.”

Administrators from across the Havre district and members of its board of trustees have been invited to meet with Gianforte Thursday at Sunnyside, as well as teachers from across the district who qualified for the increase provided through HB 143.

The tour will start with a meet and greet, then Gianforte will meet with two first-year teachers benefitting from HB 143.

The agenda indicates Gianforte will go to the classroom of fifth grade teacher Parker Barsanti and then fourth grade teacher Jenna McNew.

Gianforte is then scheduled to meet with district administration and board members.