MCPS seeks Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations
Missoula County Public Schools invites applicants for the position of Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations. This position is a key member of the District's leadership team and oversees all functions of the Human Resources Department. For information about the District, City of Missoula and the position, read below or select one of the links to the left on this webpage. To apply for the position, click here to access the District's employent page and online application system.
Living the 'great life' in Missoula
You've probably heard Missoula is a great place to work, live and raise a family. That's right, we're not shy. We're proud of our city and the great lifestyle (and schools!) that it provides.
The population of Missoula was 57,053 at the 2000 census. The 2008 census bureau estimate puts the city’s metropolitan area population at 107,320 as of July 1, 2008, making it the second largest city and metropolitan area in Montana, and Missoula is on CNN’s list of top 10 cities to start a small business.
In the city, the population is varied. About 20 percent are under the age of 18; 20 percent range from 18 to 24; 30 percent from 25 to 44; 20 percent from 45 to 64; and 10 percent are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years.
The city is very supportive of public schools and higher education. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, which serves about 13,500 students. Thirty-eight percent of Missoula residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.
Recreation opportunities in Missoula are plentiful, and they compliment the Montana life style. Missoula is rich in cultural attractions ranging from symphony, arts, live theatre, historical museums, shops, galleries, and numerous sporting arenas and events. Missoula is nicknamed the "Garden City." The moniker comes from Missoula’s mild winters relative to the rest of Montana. Missoula is three hours south of Glacier National Park and 3.5 hours west of Yellowstone National Park - a park lover's dream! It is surrounded by national forests and a handful of wilderness areas. Within a couple miles of Missoula, outdoor enthusiasts can experience recreational opportunities complimented by four seasons in the millions of acres of wilderness and recreation areas.
Missoula is located near the Rattlesnake Wilderness and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, two areas that protect Missoula's municipal watershed and serve as wildlife habitat and recreational areas. The Forest Service's smokejumper base, the largest of its kind, is located near the Missoula airport. The Missoula Osprey is the local minor league baseball team and the Missoula Maulers is the local hockey team. Missoula is also home to the Missoula Phoenix, a AAA semi-pro football team in the Rocky Mountain Football League.
Missoula is considered by many to be the city of bicycle travel, because of the presence of Adventure Cycling Association (formerly known as Bikecentennial), North America's largest cycling membership organization. Thousands of bike travelers come through Missoula and stop at Adventure Cycling's downtown headquarters for free ice cream, advice, and the chance to be photographed.
Along with outdoor recreation, Missoula has a thriving arts scene. The International Wildlife Film Festival, the largest animal-themed film festival in the world, is held annually at the historic Wilma Theatre. The Missoula Children's Theatre is an international touring program that visits nearly 1,000 communities per year. The Children's Theatre routinely has residencies in all fifty states, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. The Missoula Art Museum, exhibits a variety of contemporary art. The museum was founded in 1975, and in 2005 the facilities were renovated and expanded. The museum offers art classes, tours, gallery talks, and has free admission.
District Goals and Student Achievement
Across the State of Montana, Missoula County Public Schools has a reputation for academic excellence and a committment to providing a breadth of programs that meet the needs of all students. Superintendent Alex P. Apostle, in his second year of leadership at MCPS, has worked with trustees, administrators, staff, students, parents and community members to identify the following five main goals for the District:
- Student achievement for all, regardless of their circumstances.
- Refine and implement a quality evaluation and supervision program for all staff.
- Define and implement a quality professional development program that encompasses best practices and supports the needs of all staff.
- Restructure the organization to become more efficient, effective and accountable to support the goals of the District.
- Cultivate and enhance staff, student, parent, business and community involvement.
In addition, each school and main department has also identified goals. As a District, MCPS students score near the top on the state's MontCAS tests, which are used to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind. These scores are available in the NCLB Report Card. In addition, MCPS students score well on ACT and SAT tests. In 2008, MCPS students scored an average of 540 on the SAT reading section -- that compares to an average score of 541 in Montana and 502 in the nation. In 2008, MCPS students scored an average of 554 in the SAT math section -- that compares to 548 in Montana and 515 in the nation.
District Structure & Budgets
MCPS is a unified K-12 district but maintains separate budgets for its elementary (K-8) system and secondary (high school) system. Each system has different attendance boundaries; the elementary district serves the urban Missoula area, while the secondary district serves students that live in Missoula and in outlying communities, including Lolo, Bonner, Clinton, Target Range and Hellgate areas. These students attend elementary and middle school in other K-8 districts.
The current enrollment for the Elementary District is at about 4,769 students, while the High School District is at 3, 530 students -- total enrollment is 8,299. There are nine elementary schools, three middle schools, four high schools, a preschool program as well as an alternative high school program, and an adult education program.
The District employees about 1,400 staff. About 730 of those are certified educators. The school year generally begins in late August and concludes late in the second week of June.
In July 2009, MCPS implemented a new management structure that creates smaller learning communities, called “regions.” The District has three regions, each generally including a high school, middle school and “feeder” elementaries. The schools in each region work together to improve teaching and learning and ensure continuity in the curriculum. Each region is managed by a director, who works closely with the superintendent, principals, teachers and other leadership.
The budgets of Missoula County Public Schools are managed to support teaching and learning. Combined, the Missoula elementary and high school general fund budgets total nearly $45 million. District administrators work cooperatively with the federal, state and local officials to increase funding as much as possible. Local residents are also supportive of meeting the needs of students and schools; district voters have a history of approving operating and building reserve levies to provide maximum school funding.
In addition to its K-12 programs, MCPS operates an early learning preschool center that can accommodate children with special educational needs, and operates adult and continuing education services at Dickinson Lifelong Learning Center, including adult literacy, GED and evening high school programs.
For more information about the District or this position, please contact
Caroline Wilson
Human Resources Supervisor
Missoula Country Public Schools
215 S. Sixth West, Missoula, Mt. 59801
406-728-2400, ext. 1037
cwilson@mcps.k12.mt.us