What does the STARS Act mean for Madison County Schools?

On April 22 the Montana Legislature passed the Student and Teachers Advancement for Results and Success (STARS) Act and sent it on to Governor Greg Gianforte where he is expected to sign it into law. The landmark bill provides $100 million for school districts to increase teacher pay, provide for teacher housing and become more competitive with other parts of the country with regards to teacher hiring. 

Madison County superintendent of schools Pam Birkeland took some time to break down the STARS Act and give us an early look at how it will impact school districts in Madison County. 

The Madisonian: Can you please give our readers a brief rundown of the highlights of the STARS act and what it allows schools to do? 

Birkeland: HB 252 or the STARS Act has several components that will benefit the school districts in Montana. These include the following:

1. Increase beginning teacher or base pay. The districts must indicate that they will increase their beginning salaries to 62% of their average teacher salaries or no less than $41,615 for the upcoming school year by May 15. Districts that comply will receive double the current Quality Educator Payment (QEP) ($3,673/qualified staff which will result in a payment to the district of $7,346/per qualified staff member).

   Additionally, the district will be eligible to receive a QEP for the clerk if the district clerk’s job description matches the duties as outlined in the bill.

   It is also the legislature’s intention that those employees hired under emergency authorization (when a district has advertised for a position and has not been able to find a certified person to fill it and therefore hired a staff member whose certification is in another field or who has a bachelor degree but not a teaching degree) be eligible for the QEP, now at the higher rate.
    

2. By 2027, this bill also allows districts who might share a teacher or other staff member to both be eligible to receive the QEP for that staff member.
    

3. By 2028, districts who have Advanced Opportunity plans in place for students in grades 6-12 would be eligible for increased funding.
    

4. Higher Budget Authority would be available for districts that are impacted by high housing costs. The increased budgeted funds must be spent on any of the following: housing stipends, the construction of school owned housing, rent assistance, down payment assistance, employee/district shared ownership with the employee being allowed to buy out the district at the end of their employment, and relocation assistance, etc.
    

5. Districts that have K-12 post graduate preparedness programs in place would be eligible to receive a “Future Readiness” payment which is a new funding opportunity within this bill.

The Madisonian: What applications of the STARS act are you aware of that are ready to go in Madison County? 

Birkeland: All five districts in Madison County intend to certify that they are in compliance with the base salary requirements for the 2026 school year on May 15. Two districts already have signed MOU’s or attestations with their collective bargaining units, and two are in the process of meeting that requirement by May 15. 

The Alder School does not have a collective bargaining unit, but the Alder Board of Trustees adopted policy 5505 on third reading at their April board meeting. With that policy, they are in compliance.

The Madisonian: How will this impact the districts who are currently in negotiations with their teacher's unions? 

Birkeland: Districts that are in negotiations would be required to have an attestation signed by both the Collective Bargaining unit president and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees stating their commitment to work together toward the legislative goal for teacher base pay set forth in HB252 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.

More details about the specific applications of the STARS Act provisions in Madison County will be reported on as the details are worked out. Thanks to superintendent Birkeland for providing us with this early insight.