Summary of Benefits for Non-Teaching Staff

1. Health Insurance – available to full-time employees only. Full time is equal to an eight hour work day, five days a week for a classified employee. The District contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana for its health insurance plan. Eligible employees may choose between the Blue Dimension Plan or the Catastrophic Plan. The two plans have different premiums. Both the District and the employee contribute to the premium amount. The employee amount varies with a 10-pay or 12-pay contract. The health insurance premium is a composite rate so there is no differentiation in premium for singles, couples or families. See Health Insurance Summary for more information.

2. Sick Leave – you will accrue sick leave if you are in a qualified position. Substitute positions are not qualified to accrue sick leave. Sick leave will accrue beginning your first day of employment at a rate of 4.6154 percent times the total hours worked in a pay period. You are not entitled to use your sick leave until you have been employed three consecutive months with the school system.

3. Vacation Leave – you will accrue vacation time if you are in a qualified position. Substitute positions are not qualified to accrue vacation time. Vacation hours will accrue beginning your first day of employment at a rate of 5.7692 percent times the total hours worked in a pay period. You are not entitled to use your vacation hours until you have been employed with the school system for six consecutive months.

4. Other Leaves—The Collective Bargaining Agreements and Board Policy set forth other leave provisions.

5. Retirement Plans – The position you have been hired for will determine in which retirement system you will contribute. All persons that are employed with the school system will contribute to either Public Employees’ (PERS) or Teachers’ (TRS) Retirement system, either from the first day of employment or after a certain number of hours or days. Your position determines at what point you will begin contributing to the retirement plan.

6. Probationary Period – All employees are considered probationary until they have worked a set number of months or days, typically 120 work days. The Collective Bargaining Agreements and Board Policies set for the specific time frames of probationary periods. Employees will be evaluated by the supervisor either before or upon completion of the probationary period.

7. Workers’ Compensation Insurance—All District employees are covered by workers’ compensation insurance at no cost to the employee. The District contracts with the Montana School Group Insurance Authority (MSGIA). Click here for more information.

8. Unemployment Insurance-- All District employees are covered by unemployment insurance at no cost to the employee. The District contracts with the Montana Schools Unemployment Insurance Program. Click here for more information.

If you have any further questions regarding employee benefits, please contact the Human Resources Office at, (406) 268-6010.