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05/01/2026
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
School district plans to cut at least one third-grade class next year
Missoula parents have raised concerns about a planned reduction in the number of third-grade classrooms in at least one elementary school next year. School district officials said the changes are due to declining enrollment, which largely drives the budget.
During the Missoula County Public Schools board meeting Tuesday, several parents asked the district to reconsider cutting a third-grade class at Lewis and Clark Elementary and stressed the importance of smaller class sizes that allow teachers to spend more time with students. They said the change from three to two third-grade classes will likely push class sizes above the state cap of 28 students. Classrooms with more than that receive paraeducator support, according to the district.
Kelci Kuntz, the mother of a second-grader at Lewis and Clark Elementary, told the board that this group of students missed a year of preschool due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are behind in social and emotional development.
“I cannot emphasize and stress enough the added strain and stress that would put on the students being in such a large class size, but also on the teachers and staff,” she said.
Nicole Sarrazin-Strong, a parent and teacher at Big Sky High School, said the reduction in third-grade classrooms is concerning because research shows that students who do not read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out.
“I know it’s a tough budget year, but I really do think that this is not where we need to be cutting,” she said.
Superintendent Micah Hill said at the meeting that he wouldn’t argue any point raised by the parents and that teachers’ work is extraordinary and complex.
“We don’t take lightly the decisions that we make, and we know how they affect our community,” he said.
Hill said in an email to Lewis and Clark parents last week that the plan for two third-grade classes instead of three is based solely on enrollment numbers and is not the result of a budget cut. Enrollment-driven staffing adjustments are made each year in all schools as needed to balance class sizes, he said.
Since 2020, MCPS enrollment in kindergarten through fifth grade has declined by about 560 students, Hill wrote in the email to parents. The district would need at least $2.3 million more per year to ensure all classes had 20 or fewer students, he said.
The state’s funding formula sets the school district’s general fund maximum budget, largely based on enrollment. The state supports 80%, while the district is responsible for generating the remaining 20% through measures such as operational levies. While enrollment-based staffing decisions are separate from the operational levies the district is requesting this year, the district would face additional reductions without that funding, Hill said.
Valerie Rosman, a district spokesperson, told MTFP that while next year’s classes are mostly set, class sizes may change over the next few months if students move in or out of the district. The whole plan may get reconfigured if a classroom size changes by multiple students, she said.
Ballots due Tuesday
Ballots for the school and special district election are due by 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 5. Depending on their residence, voters will weigh in on school and fire levies, and on school board and special district positions.
Missoula elections officials are reminding voters that they must include their birth year on the ballot return envelope for it to be counted. Voters can track the status of their ballot at myvoterpagemt.com.
This is a mail-only election, and polling places will not be open. Since there are fewer than seven days until the election, it’s too late to return ballots by mail, according to the Missoula County Elections Office. Voters can currently turn in their ballots at the elections office on Russell Street. A list of eight ballot drop boxes open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day is available online.
Residents can register to vote at the elections office until noon on Monday and again on Tuesday.
By the Numbers
The increase to the base pay of Missoula County elected officials approved by the County Compensation Board Wednesday, bringing it from $50.83 an hour to $52.86.
The main reason for the increase is to ensure sheriff’s deputies can get a reasonable raise to stay competitive with Missoula police officer pay, which increased last year, said Allison Franz, the county’s communications manager. State law sets the pay for sheriff deputies and detention officers as a percentage of the sheriff’s wage. Any increase to that triggers the increase to the uniform base pay for other county elected officials.
The increase will cost the county an additional $243,477 for deputies and $348,540 for detention officers next year, according to county documents.
Under state law, some officials are eligible for additional pay for longevity or for holding a combined office, such as sheriff/coroner. Those percentages remained the same.
The board kept the county attorney’s salary at $159,813, which is 100% of a district court judge’s salary set by the state. The board also left the justice of the peace’s salary at 85% of a district court judge’s salary, or $135,845 per year.
If the Missoula County commissioners approve the increase, it will go into effect July 1. With the increase, approximate salaries for elected officials will be:
- County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier – $121,846
- County Commissioner Josh Slotnick – $119,642
- County Commissioner Juanita Vero – $118,539
- Auditor Lester Bracy – $109,949
- Clerk and Recorder/Treasurer Tyler Gernant – $146,037
- Superintendent of Schools Erin Lipkind – $128,440
- County Attorney Matt Jennings – $159,813
- Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen- $160,326
- Clerk of District Court Amy McGhee – $137,238
- Justices of the Peace Alex Beal and Landee Holloway – $135,845
Public Notice
The city of Missoula is holding a meeting next week to get feedback on project alternatives to address stormwater issues in the Lincoln Hills and Lincolnwood neighborhoods.
The neighborhoods in the Rattlesnake Creek area lack sufficient drainage infrastructure, resulting in frequent ponding and localized flooding, according to the city. There are also a few existing stormwater quality treatment measures that service the area.
The project team will present the final alternatives under consideration, and comments will help inform the final project recommendations. The meeting will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Rattlesnake Elementary School gym/cafeteria.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The Missoula County commissioners Thursday approved the purchase of a new water system for the Wye and authorized the issuance of bonds to pay for it. Last year, the county partnered with Grass Valley Industrial to build the water system in the Wye area west of Missoula and south of Interstate 90. The system will initially serve the Grass Valley Industrial subdivision and Montana Knife Company’s new manufacturing facility. Nearby property owners can connect to the system but are not required to. Water system customers are part of a special district that covers operating and maintenance costs. The county agreed to purchase the system for about $5.26 million, with most of the cost covered by a 20-year bond. Tax increment financing generated by the Wye I Targeted Economic Development District will be used to pay back the bond. Certain school and fire levies will be excluded from the bond, allowing the county to continue conversations with school and fire districts about how to address their concerns about the district’s effect on their budget, said Andrew Hagemeier, the county’s director of Community and Economic Development.
On Wednesday, the Missoula City Council approved a Municipal Court plan to move pretrial services in-house and hire three new full-time employees. The court currently contracts with Missoula County to provide those services, which include text reminders of court dates, said Kari Dady, the municipal court administrator. The city’s contract with the county, which began in the summer of 2022, is set to expire at the end of June, Dady said. The contract cost has increased each year, with an estimated cost of $290,000 for next year, she said. An in-house program would cost about $268,000 and wouldn’t require a budget increase, as funds from the contract would cover the new staff, Dady said. The court would hire a supervisor in May and the other two staff members later this summer, she said. Along with cost savings, moving pretrial services in-house gives the city greater control and flexibility to expand text reminders to other programs, Dady said. Council members Bob Campbell and Stacie Anderson opposed the move. Anderson raised concerns that the program would cost more over time because the city would have to pay for staff wage increases. Council Member Kristen Jordan said the city hires new employees all the time, and the program will help save money by helping people show up to court and decreasing the number of people in jail.
The Missoula City Council Wednesday approved an updated agreement with Riverfront Triangle Partners outlining development requirements. The company owns most of the land on the triangle site between West Broadway, Orange Street and the Clark Fork River, apart from the two-acre city property adjacent to Orange Street. The city is preparing to close on the sale of that property to Whitefish-based Averill Hospitality, which plans to build a hotel and conference center, along with a public plaza and a trail extension. The city’s original agreements with Riverfront Triangle Partners, approved in 2017, have expired or are outdated due to new plans for the property and the city’s new unified development code, said John Adams, the city’s strategic project manager. The updated agreement maintains a setback from the river and plans to extend the riverfront trail, removes one-off design standards and allows surface parking. The agreement also removed a “vague” requirement for the city and landowner to reach a housing-related agreement for the site, Adams said. Instead, for any projects that receive $100,000 or more in tax increment financing, the developer will contribute 10% to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Missoula County commissioners April 23 approved a developer’s request to rezone 83 acres off Highway 93 and the Bitterroot River to allow for storage units and workshops. The land is currently zoned for limited residential development under a citizen-initiated zoning district approved in 1979, said Kathleen Arthur, a county planner. The property includes a former landfill, and much of it is located in the floodplain, she said. The developer, Jason Rice with Shoptown at Buckhouse LLC, requested that most of the property be rezoned to agricultural or working lands, that about 8 acres near the highway be zoned for commercial use and that the land along the river and the highway be designated as open resource and recreation. Rice said the development team is working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to eventually open a public river access on the site with designated parking. County staff recommended denial of the rezone due to public safety concerns and because many potential uses allowed under commercial zoning are inappropriate for the location. Commissioner Josh Slotnick opposed the request, citing concerns that a gas station or other “scary” uses allowed in commercial zones could be developed at the site. Commissioners Dave Strohmaier and Juanita Vero approved the proposal because it is more consistent with the county’s growth policy and site constraints will prevent unwanted development on the property.
Missoula’s bear buffer zone will expand April 30, requiring residents in parts of the Wye, Miller Creek, Big Flat, Blue Mountain, East Missoula and Bonner areas to store their trash in bear-resistant containers or enclosures. Grizzly Disposal and Republic Services are switching out about 12,000 customers’ garbage carts, but supply delays mean not all neighborhoods will get them immediately, according to Missoula Public Health. The health department and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are working with the haulers to prioritize areas of greatest concern. Residents who use their own trash cans can lease a secure container or purchase one that matches the hauler’s equipment. Residents who haul their own trash must switch to a certified bear-resistant container. A map of the bear buffer zones and details on the trash requirements are available online. The city and county jointly adopted the Bear Smart policy outlining the expansion in 2023.
Photo Op
Kent Haslam, director of Grizzly Athletics, discusses a newly announced marketing partnership between the University of Montana, Destination Missoula and the Missoula Tourism Business Improvement District during a press conference at UM Wednesday. The partnership aims to increase visitor numbers to the area and boost the local economy by promoting university events.
Along with promoting events, Destination Missoula and the district will collaborate with UM on content and digital advertisements. The university will share ticket sale data, like buyer location and age group, for major concerts, football games and men’s and women’s basketball games to help Destination Missoula better advertise to prospective visitors.
The Missoula Tourism Business Improvement District will give $100,000 to the university’s athletic program. Haslam said the money will be used to help recruit and retain talent to build competitive teams and strengthen the fan experience.
“We know that when we’re doing well, people are coming here and they’re filling up the stadium, and that’s what we want to do,” Haslam said. “However, in this rapidly changing college athletic environment, … it’s getting more and more difficult for us to be able to remain competitive, give people a reason to travel to Missoula for athletic events.”
Barb Neilan, executive director of Destination Missoula, said visitors spend about $5.2 million in Missoula County during every home football game weekend. In 2024, the university’s Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research reported that visitor spending in Montana totaled about $5 billion, of which more than $500 million was spent in Missoula County, Neilan said.
“We’re essentially putting on paper what we’ve known, that working together to bring more visitors to events in Missoula means more economic impact to our city, more hotel stays, more dinners at local restaurants, more demand for our retail shops, and more desire for direct flights to reach us,” she said. “All of these things visitors enjoy, but as residents, we also benefit from all of them.”
Might be Fun
The 32nd annual Garden City Brewfest returns to Caras Park on Saturday. The free event runs from noon to 7 p.m. and features more than 60 local and regional beers, seltzers and ciders, as well as a wine and mimosa bar. Those interested in sampling the brews can purchase a 7-ounce glass and three drink tokens for $20. Additional tokens cost $2 each. The event will also include food vendors, live music and activities, including beer pong and axe throwing.
Three seasonal Saturday markets also kick off this weekend. The Missoula Farmers’ Market runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the north end of Higgins Avenue by the XXXXs. The Missoula People’s Market, featuring local art and handcrafted goods, operates on West Pine and Higgins from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Clark Fork River Market runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on South Pattee Street and the Riverside Lot, west of Caras Park. The outdoor markets are open throug