MISSOULA — Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) has had to make difficult decisions regarding terminations of staff in the past few weeks.
A meeting on Tuesday, June 11 was no exception as the MCPS school board finalized the termination of three tenured teachers and one administration member.
The school board voted unanimously to terminate the tenured teachers and the administration member due to budget shortfalls.
The school board made it clear to those attending Tuesday's meeting that if a qualified position for any of these teachers or staff opens they will be first to be considered for that position.
Before that decision was made the board heard public comment from a few local music educators — including Tracy Hardy — who expressed their concern over a vacant music teacher position at Lowell Elementary School that was brought to attention from an email sent by the school’s principal.
The email said the school has been trying to fill the position since April with no success and will be adding an art specialist to the staff to fill the void.
“Teachers are tired, people are tired for speaking and seemingly not being heard. So, it’s frustrating for me that more people haven’t spoken out or written letters. But this decision to not hire a music teacher at Lowell Elementary is what happens when there is no fine arts director,” Hardy said. “The district’s defensive rhetoric saying the music teacher simply couldn’t be found is hard to believe as truth there are applicants for this position that would’ve been qualified.”
The lack of funds from the one levy that didn’t pass in May meant the district had to make more cuts than they originally thought resulting in the termination of around 55 teachers and staff members.
The MCPS School Board’s next meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 24, 2024.
