GARDINER, Mont. — It’s no secret that Gardiner is a tourist town. But with the rising cost of living, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for locals to live here and for the Gardiner School to retain its staff.

“Housing prices in particular have skyrocketed,” said the new superintendent and principal of Gardiner Public Schools, Jeannette Bray.

Bray has roots here in the Treasure State and saw this new role as a good opportunity to reconnect with her family. But returning to Montana wasn’t easy.

“I think if I had made this move 10, 15 years ago, I could have afforded a house with the salary that school paid, but I can’t afford it. Everything is just getting too expensive,” Bray said.

We looked at prices for homes in the Gardiner area on Zillow. The cheapest home for sale was $550,000, and the most expensive was just under $3 million.

Gardiner Public Schools currently employs over 30 staff members and enrolls 150 students.

Bray said she expects student numbers to increase and the need for more teachers will be critical in the coming years.

“It’s really important to retain those teachers and make sure we have the teachers we need to be able to meet that need,” Bray said.

The North Yellowstone Education Foundation helped secure affordable housing for Gardiner Public Schools employees. Laura Chastain showed NBC Montana the three options that provide housing for six Gardiner Public Schools employees.

NYEF is a partner organization of parents and teachers from the community that helped raise funds, apply for grants and receive donations to provide a roof over the heads of the six staff members.

“The search for funding opportunities and grants was very extensive,” said NYEF Director Chastain.

The third house will go to Bray soon after renovations are completed. Bray said she is grateful to be part of the Gateway community.

“If the school hadn’t provided me with a house, there’s no way I could have accepted the position. I would have had to turn it down,” Bray said.

Chastain said the goal is to anticipate retiring teachers and make housing provisions to accommodate future growth.

She adds that NYEF is working with HRDC to create more affordable housing in the area.

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