BIG SKY — According to Zillow, the average home price in Big Sky is $1.8 million. Meanwhile, Montana.gov reports the average teacher salary in the state is about $58,000 a year — a combination that can make living in the mountain community difficult for educators.
That challenge is something Big Sky School District Superintendent Dustin Shipman knows well.
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“Recruiting to this community is easy. Plenty of people would like to come to work here until you start talking about housing,” Shipman said.
Shipman has served as superintendent of the Big Sky School District for 12 years. The district serves about 350 students from pre-K through 12th grade and employs 60 staff members, including 33 teachers.
“I would say our average salary is around $62,000 a year. Our beginning salary is $44,000 to $45,000 a year. That’s pretty good in the state of Montana,” Shipman said.
But while teacher salaries in Big Sky are above the statewide average, the cost of living remains a major obstacle. Zillow lists the average rent in Big Sky at about $4,200 a month.
“Is it difficult for teachers to find housing in Big Sky, Montana?” I asked.
“Very difficult. Very challenging,” he said.
To address the problem, the school district partnered with Habitat for Humanity in 2020 to build housing for teachers.
“We were able to build two triplexes, so six units of two bedrooms apiece,” Shipman said.
The project cost about $1.3 million. The district rents the units to teachers at below-market rates.
“If you live together with another employee in a two-bedroom unit, it’s $500 apiece. If you live by yourself in one of those units, it’s 28% of your contracted amount with the Big Sky School District. We have a minimum of $750 and a maximum of $1,200,” Shipman said.
The units filled quickly, highlighting the continued need for affordable housing in Big Sky.
In response, the district recently added six one-bedroom, one-bathroom homes measuring about 600 square feet each. The homes were built by Riverside Cabins in Great Falls.
The homes were transported to Big Sky in June and installed by August behind Big Sky High School. All but one of the units are already occupied.
“The board has set the rate for these at $650 a unit,” Shipman said.
The project cost about $1.5 million and was funded through a combination of community support and district funding. The Yellowstone Club Community Foundation donated $375,000, and the Big Sky Resort Area District contributed another $375,000. The school district covered the remaining costs.
Shipman said the investment is helping educators remain in the community they serve.
“It’s really important for us to make this community livable for our teachers and for our staff because that’s what they came here for — to live a Big Sky lifestyle — and that’s what’s important to us,” Shipman said.
