Browning Chief

Teachers'
Salaries
Problem

The Chief's ear for news caught whisperings on street corners that the local school board is struggling at present with the problem of teachers' salaries and that apparently there is not enough money in the budget to pay everybody as much as he wants. We approached some of the board members to see if the matter was one for publication and found them very cooperative and anxious that full publicity be given any or all of the business transacted by the board in its meetings.

As one member aptly said: "It's the public's money and they have a right to know how we are spending it for them. The clerk and superintendent will show you any records in their offices that you want to see." A trip to the school district offices produced the following facts:

The 13th Montana legislative assembly revamped the entire plan of school finance for public schools so that the budget power of a school district now depends entirely upon the number of days pupils attend the school.

Supt. Gold has explained that this possibly works a hardship on the local schools as the attendance percentages here, in spite of vigorous enforcement efforts, are among the lowest in the state. The budget limitations depend upon the size of the schools. In Browning the trustees may budget approximately 90c for each day a child belongs in the elementary school and approximately a $1.50 for each day a high school student belongs.

The trustees are permitted some percentage excesses over these amounts if they can see where the money is going to come from, and the district is always permitted to vote upon higher levies if the school cannot be operated within the budget limitations. These budget limits are set by law and cannot be exceeded even if the district does have money to its credit with the county treasurer.

Supt. Gold pointed out another feature of the law which works a hardship on the trustees. This is the requirement that teachers be elected by April 1st and their salary set, while the final budget is not set till about three months later.

For several years the Montana Education Association worked to get school boards throughout Montana to adopt a definite salary schedule known as the MEA schedule so that teachers would receive proper recognition for their training and teaching experience. The Browning school board was one of the first to accept this salary schedule and Browning teachers have been paid upon this schedule for some years.

The schedule, however, was made up when a dollar has much greater purchasing power than it has now and most schools in the state have had to pay bonuses over and above the schedule to get competent teachers. Browning fell in line and paid a "cost-of-living" bonus to all town teachers last year. For a few years during and after the war men teachers were hard to get and it was necessary in many schools to offer even further inducements to men whose services were needed in the schools.

Browning was no exception to this and such advances over the scale were made as were needed to secure the teachers needed.

It appears now that there will not be enough money next year to make the Browning salaries conform to all the points listed above and the local trustees and superintendent have been making a careful study to determine what amounts should be paid.

The trustees are unwilling to abandon the basic MEA scale and have already offered contracts to all teachers who desired to remain in Browning on the basis of this schedule. The trustees have also inserted in the contracts offered to teachers this paragraph: "(Continued on page five)".
Teachers' Salaries Problem

(Continued from first page)

"The trustees of this school have gone on record as favoring salary adjustments over and above the amounts indicated in the salary scale to compensate teachers for the increase in the cost of living since the scale was first adopted and for special services rendered to the district. These amounts cannot be indicated at the time set by law for the completion of this contract, but will be determined at the time the annual budget is completed."

This was done to protect the teachers in case the picture at the time the budget is adopted is more optimistic than it now appears to be. Supt. Gold states that most of the teachers have signed the contracts which the board offered them.

Following is the teacher list of the town schools, together with their anticipated salaries for next year, the last column showing the bonus or additional pay above the salary schedule which was paid last year:

Mrs. Shoop $3,480 $300

The superintendent and ag teacher are on 12-month contracts. The superintendent received $5,000 last year. Mr. Harris was paid at the rate of $4,100 during the time he was here. A $300 bonus was added to these salaries.

Mrs. Sweeney, Mr. Krzyzaniak and Mrs. Naegele have offered their resignations to the board and do not expect to be in Browning next year. Mr. Scriver has asked to be relieved of the music work and given an academic teaching assignment and Supt. Gold has asked to be relieved of the superintendency and given a teaching assignment.

Mrs. Gerard	3,100	300
Mrs. Des Rosier	2,626	300
Mrs. Overdahl	2,440	300
Mrs. Renshaw	2,800	300
Miss Sinnott	3,000	300
Mrs. Harris	3,080	300
Miss Skotland	3,480	300
Mrs. Bond	2,750	300
Miss Miller	2,330	300
Miss Bartlett	3,170	300
Joseph Malia	2,375	300
Mrs. Hughes	2,975	300
Mrs. Rodgers	3,480	300
Miss Mays	3,310	300
Robert Scriver	3,580	300
Thomas Kelly	2,860	930
Don Fox	2,770	1,070
Mrs. Becker	3,120	300
Mrs. Fox	2,940	490
Jess LaBuff	2,680	1,460
Miss Schmidt, Prin. 4,125	400