What are the responsibilities and job description for the Elementary Curriculum position at Montana Office of Public Instruction?
Chinook School District is anticipating an opening for an elementary teacher for the 2025-26 school year. The actual teaching assignment (grade level, etc.) has yet to be determined and will be based upon best fit for the district.Â
Chinook's salary and insurance benefit are incredibly competitive for newer teachers and the cost of living in Chinook means those dollars go even further.  While salary for next year is currently being negotiated, if the Stars Act passes in the Montana Legislature, and is signed into law, the lowest teacher pay in the district is expected to be $42,000 - $43,000 in 2025-26. We currently allow veteran teachers to bring in eight years of prior experience.Â
The district contributes 100% of the single rate premium for each employee, currently $12,513. The district contributes 140% of the single rate premium towards a family insurance plan, ($17,518), which covers more than half of the family plan costs. If the employee is already covered by insurance (spouse, parent, military, etc.) then the employee may elect to take 70% of the insurance premium for a single person as an additional salary stipend each month, which is currently $729 per month or up to $8,748 annually.   Â
We encourage our staff to continue their education by providing any staff member up to $500 annually for college tuition reimbursement as well as a reimbursement stipend of $300 to help offset costs for attending teacher's convention in October. Summer training opportunities are available as well, including the summer institute in Bozeman, which the district covers.
We have a mentoring program for new teaching staff. Teachers new to the district may obtain up to $1,000 in moving expense reimbursement and a separate signing bonus is being discussed in the current round of teacher negotiations.Â
Teachers may elect to take a cash advance in August of $1,500 as the first pay period isn't until the middle of September. There is no district housing but housing is generally available in Chinook and we do help new staff find housing. We are usually able to find rental units for new staff that could be temporary while they seek housing, or even potentially turn into a permanent rental.
Chinook's anticipated high school enrollment for 2025-26 is 118 students while the K-8 anticipated enrollment is 190. We operate on a 4-day week with contracted hours starting at 7:35 am and ending at 4:15 pm. The school day ends at 3:40 pm for our students. The number of teacher contract days currently total 157 and every weekend is a 3-day weekend. Â
We offer our staff all the coffee you can drink, as a perk, and we do have a nice variety of coffee options including seasonal flavors, de-caf, tea and hot chocolate! We provide our staff with a recharge / relaxation room for use during your downtime, complete with aromatherapy, sounds of nature and a massage chair. You can even take a nap if you want to; just set an alarm so you don't miss class! We're always looking for an extra team owner in our district fantasy football league if that's something you're game for!
For a little more information about our school and community, including our salary matrix, check out our Google Slides presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LPedptsdAptpIgaSEz1h0EdFFwcDbcIhRb40iJzeEcY/edit?usp=sharing
It's always a great day to be a Sugarbeeter!
Chinook's salary and insurance benefit are incredibly competitive for newer teachers and the cost of living in Chinook means those dollars go even further.  While salary for next year is currently being negotiated, if the Stars Act passes in the Montana Legislature, and is signed into law, the lowest teacher pay in the district is expected to be $42,000 - $43,000 in 2025-26. We currently allow veteran teachers to bring in eight years of prior experience.Â
The district contributes 100% of the single rate premium for each employee, currently $12,513. The district contributes 140% of the single rate premium towards a family insurance plan, ($17,518), which covers more than half of the family plan costs. If the employee is already covered by insurance (spouse, parent, military, etc.) then the employee may elect to take 70% of the insurance premium for a single person as an additional salary stipend each month, which is currently $729 per month or up to $8,748 annually.   Â
We encourage our staff to continue their education by providing any staff member up to $500 annually for college tuition reimbursement as well as a reimbursement stipend of $300 to help offset costs for attending teacher's convention in October. Summer training opportunities are available as well, including the summer institute in Bozeman, which the district covers.
We have a mentoring program for new teaching staff. Teachers new to the district may obtain up to $1,000 in moving expense reimbursement and a separate signing bonus is being discussed in the current round of teacher negotiations.Â
Teachers may elect to take a cash advance in August of $1,500 as the first pay period isn't until the middle of September. There is no district housing but housing is generally available in Chinook and we do help new staff find housing. We are usually able to find rental units for new staff that could be temporary while they seek housing, or even potentially turn into a permanent rental.
Chinook's anticipated high school enrollment for 2025-26 is 118 students while the K-8 anticipated enrollment is 190. We operate on a 4-day week with contracted hours starting at 7:35 am and ending at 4:15 pm. The school day ends at 3:40 pm for our students. The number of teacher contract days currently total 157 and every weekend is a 3-day weekend. Â
We offer our staff all the coffee you can drink, as a perk, and we do have a nice variety of coffee options including seasonal flavors, de-caf, tea and hot chocolate! We provide our staff with a recharge / relaxation room for use during your downtime, complete with aromatherapy, sounds of nature and a massage chair. You can even take a nap if you want to; just set an alarm so you don't miss class! We're always looking for an extra team owner in our district fantasy football league if that's something you're game for!
For a little more information about our school and community, including our salary matrix, check out our Google Slides presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LPedptsdAptpIgaSEz1h0EdFFwcDbcIhRb40iJzeEcY/edit?usp=sharing
It's always a great day to be a Sugarbeeter!
Salary : $500 - $8,748
