Montana’s Office of Public Instruction and two organizations representing public school employees politely opposed a proposal to raise licensing fees for teachers on Monday.
Montana currently charges a $6 fee to educators applying for a new license or renewing an existing license. That rate has been set in state law since 1991, and remains the lowest teacher licensing fee in the region. House Bill 403, introduced by Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, would strike the specific dollar amount from Montana’s law and direct OPI to adopt a new rate sufficient to fully fund the agency’s educator licensing system. Speaking before the House Education Committee Monday, Bedey estimated that the new fee would likely come in around $20 to $25, and framed the proposal as a way to recognize the value of the teaching profession.
“Bedey stated that it is desirable to align licensing practices for teachers with those of other professions, emphasizing that this should be the approach we adopt moving forward. Furthermore, she expressed her opinion that a mere $6 license fee for teachers is, in fact, an affront to the teaching profession.”
However, in voicing OPI’s opposition to the bill, chief financial officer Jay Phillips argued the per-license cost of supporting the agency’s licensing system was $62.76 last year. That, he continued, means teachers would potentially have to pay an additional $56.76 to make up the difference. Phillips did clarify that the total costs of licensure will decrease slightly in coming years due to the rollout of OPI’s new online licensing system, which requires fewer staff to process applications. Still, he said, the ongoing maintenance cost for that system alone is roughly $180,000 annually, and he stressed that state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen believes the state should “hold teachers harmless” and continue to cover at least a portion of the costs of licensure.
According to Phillips, the superintendent urged the state to maintain some level of involvement and offer teachers some cost savings, in order to prevent them from bearing the entire financial burden all at once.
Amanda Curtis, the President of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, supported OPI’s stance as she represents the majority of teachers and school employees in the state. Curtis, along with two other opponents of the bill, expressed gratitude to Bedey for his efforts on previous education policies. However, they argued that HB 403 disregards the distinctive nature of the teaching profession in Montana. Curtis pointed out that unlike other licensed trades, educators do not have the flexibility to adjust their earnings to compensate for a fee hike. She also emphasized that these differences are enshrined in the Montana Constitution.
Curtis emphasized that the Legislature is constitutionally obligated to establish a free, high-quality, fundamental public education system and allocate funds for it. He further argued that the licensing system under discussion is an integral part of fulfilling this obligation, distinguishing it from any other licensing board or profession in Montana.
Doug Reisig, executive director of the Montana Quality Education Coalition, testified that many Montana schools both rural and urban are struggling to find qualified teachers. He recognized that the state may have to take a look at licensing fees “sometime down the road,” but said his organization has concerns about any changes in the present that could have a “negative impact on the recruitment and retention of teachers.”
Teacher recruitment and retention is a driving force behind a growing number of policy proposals this session, among them a broadly supported pitch from Bedey to establish a statewide health insurance trust for public schools. According to the National Education Association, average starting teacher pay in Montana for the 2020-21 school year was the lowest in the country at $32,495 — a statistic that’s also motivating lawmakers to explore increased funding for an incentive program passed in 2021 to boost salaries for new teachers.
As Bedey indicated in the hearing, HB 403 is rooted in conversations among lawmakers on two separate education committees during the previous legislative interim. Those conversations included the prospect of redirecting teacher licensing fees from the Board of Public Education to OPI — a change Arntzen staked out as one of her top policy priorities for the 2023 session, and one that HB 403 would implement. Phillips noted that OPI has already requested General Fund dollars for the licensing system as part of its broader budget ask for the next two years, factoring that redirect into its calculations.
Bedey admitted that there is a difference in his calculation of the potential new licensing fee and the estimates presented by OPI. He promised to resolve this disparity in the future. However, he maintained his belief that a fee equivalent to the cost of a cup of coffee, particularly the expensive kind, is more of an affront than a gesture of professional recognition. Additionally, he argued that it is the licensing agency’s duty to ensure lower fees are maintained.
Bedey suggested that the responsibility for funding should not come from the General Fund of the state of Montana. Instead, he believed that the Superintendent of Public Instruction should take charge and ensure efficient operation to minimize license fees.
At a later date, the House Education Committee will vote on HB 403. If it receives approval, it will proceed to the House floor for further debate.
