• VOTE YES by May 2nd

FRIENDS OF TARGET RANGE
ENCOURAGES YOu to

VOTE YES

ON THE
TARGET RANGE SCHOOL
GENERAL OPERATING LEVY MAY 2, 2023

This levy is critical to the continued operation and high-quality programming of Target Range School 

Friends of Target Range, is composed of parents, grandparents, property owners, business owners, teachers and past TR students. We would love to share why this levy is so important to the school and future of the TR neighborhood.

STRONG SCHOOLS = STRONG COMMUNITIES

We all benefit from our community school - our district is desirable because of it! And, chances are, someone you know will be positively impacted by the levy’s passage.

The request is $375,000 to balance Target Range School’s budget and will bring wages for teachers & staff to locally competitive levels.
Despite being among the region’s best educators, our teachers have endured a 2-year salary matrix freeze even as prices increased 12.7%.

Our new teachers are paid $36,138/year-15% less than Hellgate Elementary & 11% less than MCPS. Our school can be a viable employer by paying similarly to area schools.

If we cannot pass a levy & continue to lose teachers, the school will have to consider drastic changes to programming (e.g., 4-day week, increased class sizes, loss of programs or even joining the Missoula County Public School district). 


This will massively impact kids, families, & the quality experience our school is known for.

Levy passage will increase taxes on a home with a state-assessed market value of $100,000 by approximately $3.16/month or $37.89/year; a home with a state-assessed market value of $200,000 by approximately $6.31/month or $75.77/year. In contrast, other remedies could double property taxes & bring city management closer to our homes.


Approximately 10 cents a day will provide the support our kids need to succeed.

Funding in our neighborhood, where we can see the impact on students, is a wise investment! A top-notch, independent district keeps taxes low & control local. 


We all benefit from our community school-it is an essential part of TR’s rural character.

The election will occur on Tuesday, May 2, 2023

This will be an all mail election.

You will receive your ballot in the mail and all ballots must be received by Tuesday, May 2, 2023. 

The elections office recommends mailing your ballot by Tuesday, April 25, 2023 to ensure it is counted.

What is a school levy?

Because the funding provided by the state does not cover the actual costs to operate a school district, districts often use levy funds to pay staff or hire additional staff and provide services that are not funded by the state.

Doesn’t the state fund public schools? Why is this even needed?

Yes, but only a portion of Montana schools’ budgets comes from the state each year. Taxes & levies are necessary to make up about 30%. Fewer houses per acre equals more taxes per house. The TR community hasn’t passed a general fund levy since 2007, which means we haven’t been able to pay teachers a living wage, buy curriculum supplies, classroom supplies, and fully fund extra-curricular activities, and fully fund special education programs.

What does this levy pay for?

This levy helps meet the school’s basic budget needs that are not provided by state funds, including wages. The wages at Target Range are some of the lowest in the county. Not only is this a “keep-the-lights-on” levy that will help the school pay utilities, buy curriculum supplies, etc, it will provide fair wages for teachers and substitutes (new teachers and staff are paid $36,138 a year; 15% less than at Hellgate Elementary, and 11% less than at MCPS).

I don’t have kids that go to Target Range, why should I vote yes on this levy?

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, for every dollar spent on public schools in a community, home values increased $20. These findings show that additional school expenditures can benefit everyone in the community, even those residents that don’t have children in the local public-school system.

What happens if this levy doesn’t pass?

Budget cuts would again be necessary resulting in cuts to staffing and a third year of no inflationary raises for the teachers. Teachers would continue to look for jobs elsewhere. Target Range would be forced to consider drastic changes to programming like a 4-day week, increased class sizes, loss of programs or even joining Missoula County Public School district.

MYTH BUSTING

Myth

Out-of-district students are picking our pocket and causing this budget shortfall. Charging tuition would fix the situation.

Truth

Tuition changes funding sources, so while it could reduce our tax burden slightly, it would not increase the overall budget. Levies are still needed. Out-of-district students are a great value for our district. For every dollar we spend to teach them, we get an additional $1+ from state and federal funding. If you had an employer dollar-for-dollar match 401K, you would be crazy to not take advantage of it. It is the same for our school district. We depend on this additional money for teachers and programming that makes Target Range great: art, music, technology, physical education, and extracurriculars. Losing out-of-district students because their family cannot afford tuition would hurt all of our students, including the resident students.
Additionally, HB203, which has broad bipartisan support and looks likely to become law, makes sure tax-payer dollars follow a student from district to district. This will ensure that out-of-district students bring the maximum amount of support to TR. Just as charging tuition will not address the budget shortfall, HB203 does not either. But, it does address the (incorrect) complaint that TR is subsidizing out-of-district students.

Myth

Target Range School’s spending is not sustainable. The school is not fiscally responsible.

Truth

Compared to other elementary schools in Missoula County, Target Range spends the least per student. It spends 25.5% (or about $3,485) less per student than the average elementary district in Missoula county. This includes rural schools like ours: Clinton, Potomac and Frenchtown. This levy is asking for about $600 more per student. So, even after this levy, we will still be the most efficient school in the county. Target Range School is thrifty with its funding and is a good value for taxpayers.

Myth

Covid money should have the district covered for years.

Truth

Covid-19 money was a one-time emergency infusion. Half of it went toward salaries, and the majority of the other half went toward supplies, allowing the district to avoid the need for a levy for a couple of years. Covid money “kicked the can down the road”. Now that it is used, we must reckon with the budget shortfall.

Myth

Target Range added a wasteful new bus route for $100,000.

Truth

Schools are required to provide busing for students that live three or more miles away from the school. The new route, while not required, costs approximately $36,000 a year, pennies a year to each taxpayer in our district. The bus route is full every day in the winter, when snow and ice make for dangerous walking or biking to school. In spring and fall, the route is less full. Yet, the lack of pedestrian infrastructure in many parts of the district means the route serves many students that do not live in locations that have safe access to the pedestrian trails. This is increasingly important as traffic increases in the neighborhood.

Students as young as 5 years old living up to 3 miles away are served by this bus route.

Myth

Even though everything is more expensive, and we are all struggling, the school has not cut back on spending.

Truth

The school must have a balanced budget. Without taxpayer funding, they have had to cut back significantly. Staff were laid off and the remaining staff agreed to a salary matrix freeze. Reducing staff further would put accreditation at risk or eliminate programs that make Target Range an excellent school. Losing our good reputation would reduce enrollment and compound the fiscal problems. A visitor to the school will plainly see cramped and old classrooms, teachers managing class sizes up to 32 students, outdated equipment and parents volunteering throughout.

The school has been struggling for 15 years.

Myth

The school recklessly spent local taxpayer money on a new playground.

Truth

No local tax dollars were used to build the playground.

Over 60% of the money came from private donations, and the remainder was federal Covid money that was earmarked for outdoor improvements.

The project was important to comply with national playground safety standards to avoid serious injuries. Preventing significant liability and high insurance premiums is a sound investment. Outdoor recreation and play are critical components to children's education, the playground is where children learn to interact with each other, solve conflicts and explore how to manage risk and use their bodies. Playgrounds are more than places for kids to burn off steam but are important extensions of the classroom.

Paid for by Friends of Target Range
Constance Van Kley, Treasurer
2120 S. Reserve PMB 402
Missoula, MT 59801

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