Central Montana Times

As Montana’s small, rural schools continue efforts to recruit and retain teachers, for the first time in a decade, the number of emergency authorizations has declined.

In the 2019-20 school year, the number was 84, compared to 94 the previous year, according to a report posted on the Billings Gazette website.

The so-called "last resort" option essentially lets teachers work for a year in a school even if they do not meet qualifications outlined in state law. It is an exception given to districts unable to find a properly certified teacher.

In recent years, the number of schools seeking emergency authorizations has risen dramatically, as the state has promoted that option over taking a hit on accreditation.

How the decrease in emergency authorizations should be viewed is open to interpretation.

Office of Public Instruction educator licensure program manager Kris Thatcher, who gave a report to the Board of Public Education in January, said it was encouraging news.

“It’s nice to see that number go down," Thatcher said. “That’s one of our ultimate goals."

Dennis Parman, director of the Montana Rural Education Association, said the report’s data will assume more significance when the next accreditation reports are released.

“It could be a good sign," Parman said. “I think it depends on how rushed people were to get positions filled and get school started.”

Parman said anecdotal evidence from district superintendents indicates little, if any, improvement.

Efforts have sought to address the teacher workforce shortage, but salary remains a sticking point in a state with some of the lowest paid teachers in the nation.

In Montana, the funding structure provides a base salary level of 80%, and the remaining 20% is up to local voters to provide. Tax increases to improve schools tend to be hard-fought,and can be particularly difficult to shoulder in predominantly agricultural communities.