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Educational policy affects all of our Montana students and families. This is a transparent portal for all educational updates  offered to legislators, parents, and families.

To our legislators: Remember families are the foundation of learning as our parents are the first teachers. Our Montana students are our most precious resource and the future of this great state. Thank you for putting our Montana students and families first as you reflect on educational policies during the session.

2025 Session

capitol

 

 

 


 2025 Session Legislative Outlook

You can find the Montana Legislature Bill Explorer HERE


Interim Education Committee Requested Legislation:

 

  • LC0283: Clarify budget limit calculations for new k-12 school districts
  • LC0284: Clarify enrollment counts for early literacy jumpstart program
  • LC0285: Align home value amounts for school district property tax impact statements
  • LC0286: Remove expired contingency language related to generating unit closure
  • LC0287: Move spring enrollment count date one week earlier
  • LC0288: Clarify calculations for significant enrollment increases
  • LC0289: Clarify laws related to kindergarten
  • LC0290: Clarify timelines and opening procedures for public charter schools


Logos in vertical line

A Promise is a Promise: K-12 Base AId

The total BASE aid to be distributed to school districts is estimated to be $1,039.444 billion in FY 2026 and $1,097.861 billion in FY 2027. BASE Aid is funded first by the guarantee account and second from the school equalization and property tax reduction account (SEPTR) with the balance funded from the state general fund. Funding increases are predominantly driven by changes to ANB and inflation of 3.00% in FY 2026 and 3.00% in FY 2027 as required by section §20-9-326, MCA.

Component

FY 2026

FY2027

Biennium

Direct State Aid

$9,590,096

$23,054,581

$32,644,677

Special Education Payment

$358,330

$1,784,654

$2,142,984

GTB - School General Fund

($8,965,645)

$5,056,934

($3,908,711)

GTB - School Retirement

$6,975,206

$34,585,154

$41,560,360

Quality Educator

$871,424

$2,440,110

$3,311,534

Indian Ed for All

$55,093

$146,140

$201,233

Close Achievement Gap

$143,042

$289,230

$432,272

Data for Achievement

$53,504

$140,903

$194,407

State Audit Fees

$15,000

$15,000

$30,000

Total

$9,096,052

$67,512,705

$76,608,757

  • Guarantee Account: The Guarantee Account (20-9-622, MCA) is a state special revenue account dedicated to school funding. It receives revenue generated from common school state land and the subsequent interest on the Common School trust account.
  • ANB: Average Number Belonging- A student count used for school funding purposes. It is the formula based on factors that include enrollment on two count dates, PIR days, and an average school year of 180 days. ANB used to determine ANB based entitlements as well as calculate school BASE and maximum general fund budgets §20-9-311, MCA.

Pupil/parental data privacy

 

Apply open meeting laws to public associations

Ensure that meetings and records of education membership organizations and associations are open to public.

Special Education Savings Accounts fixes

  •  
  • Expand eligibility to allow homeschool children to participate in the program.
  • Clarify language regarding full time/part time enrollment.
  • Establish sustainability of the program.

Allow schools to facilitate access to chaplains for students

  •  

Allow students the freedom to utilize volunteer chaplains in school through a school board adopted policy for mental health support and other purposes. Require parental notification and permission.

Paraprofessional pathways

    • Create a specialist license for paraprofessionals. This would require collaborating with the Board of Public Education under §20-4-102 MCA and updating §20-4-106 MCA.
    • Increasing the capacity of Montana’s paraprofessionals and creating pathways for advancement in the field of special education, ultimately impacting the issue of recruitment and retention of qualified educators serving Montana’s students with disabilities.

Notifications for sexual instruction for parents

    • Provide efficiency and clarity regarding requirements for human sexuality instruction in § 20-7-120, MCA, and identify a remedy for violation of those requirements.

TEACH Act

    • Amend TEACH ACT to align reporting dates to AIM reporting
      1. Move reporting dates to align with already required federal reporting deadlines for CTE and graduation rates.
    • Make tele-educators eligible
      1. Bill would amend § 20-9-327(3), MCA, to allow districts with contracted teachers (e.g., remote education) to receive the quality educator payment.

Privacy Protection for Investigative Integrity

    • Provide privacy protections for active licensure discipline investigations by providing a public records request exception for materials obtained by OPI and BPE during the course of an active licensure discipline investigation under § 20-4-110, MCA

Cultural Public Charter School

    • Specifically define a cultural public charter school in § 20-6-803, MCA, and expand the public charter school approval process in § 20-6-805, MCA, to include cultural public charter schools for the Board of Public Education’s consideration. This legislation would build on the ideas proposed by Rep. Windy Boy in HB 394 (2023) by including language passed through HB 214 (2023 Session) into the public charter school processes passed in HB 549 (2023 Session).

Textbook content alignment to state standards

    • Provides that a text book dealer must prove that the textbook content aligns with the Board of Public Education’s content standards when issuing a textbook dealer license under § 20-7-604, MCA.

Public Charter School fixes

    • Align the opening process for new public charter schools.  
    • Pupil enrollment language clarity for partial enrollment.
    • LC290 – Education Interim Committee Bill request from BPE.

Tuition reserve fund

    • Allow schools to reserve up to 20% in a tuition reserve fund to allow for more flexibility for future tuition budget development.

Require current contact information for licensees and applicants

    • Provide that licensed teachers must notify the Superintendent of Public Instruction of any change of address within 30 days, as is routinely required by other Montana regulatory agencies, under § 20-4-103, MCA, and that any notice to a licensee may be served at the licensee’s address on file at the Office of Public Instruction under § 20-4-110, MCA.

Strengthen background check requirements in schools

    • Require a background check for all volunteers and employees of a school district who spend regular or significant with students before they can perform any duties on school grounds.

Montana Legislature Leadership & Education Committees

House Education Committee (1)

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Map 2024 distrcits

2024 Interim Session

 

20130701_651_leg2014a

 

 

Events

The discussions times and topics are:

  • June 21, 2023 - Comparing Charter School Bills: Public Charter Schools (HB 549) and Community Choice Schools (HB 562)

Recording | Meeting Agenda | Comparison of Charter School Bills

  • July 26, 2023 - Discussing Obscenity (HB 234), Notification Requirements (HB 744), and Religious Freedom (HB 745)

RecordingMeeting Agenda | Legislation Summary

  • August 23, 2023 - Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act (HB 393)

 RecordingMeeting Agenda | Legislation Summary

  • September 20, 2023 - Parental Rights (HB 676 and SB 518)

Recording | Meeting Agenda | Legislation Summary HB 676 |  SB 518

  • October 25, 2023 - An Act Providing That Use of a Name And Sex by a Student is not Discrimination (HB 361) & Board of Trustees to Adopt a Grievance Policy (HB 504)

RecordingMeeting Agenda | Legislation Summary

  • November 29, 2023 - Protect Physical Self Defense in K-12 Schools (HB 450) and Defining Sex in Montana Law (SB 458)

RecordingMeeting Agenda | Legislation Summary

  • December 13, 2023 - Early Literacy Intervention (HB 352)

RecordingMeeting Agenda | Legislation Summary

  • January 24th, 2024 - Discussing Indian Education for All (HB 338)

      Recording | Meeting Agenda | HB 338 IEFA

 IEFA Funding & Reporting Guide | IEFA Reduction PDF

IEFA Funding Reduction for BPE

  • February 28th, 2024 - Charter School Update and Implementation

 Recording | Meeting Agenda | Legislation Summary

  • March 20th, 2024 - Legislative Implementation Briefing

Please use this LinkRecording | Meeting Agenda | Legislation Presentation         

  • April 24th, 2024 - Budget & Education Working Group Meeting 

Please Use this Link | Agenda | Recording

  • May 20-23, 2024 - Budget & Education Working Group - Small Group Meetings  Agenda

Please visit the Budget & Education Working Group page for meeting details, recordings & links.

  • June 24-27, 2024 - Budget & Education Working Group -Small Group Meetings Agenda

Please visit the Budget & Education Working Group page for meeting details, recordings, & links.     

  • July 22-25, 2024 - Budget & Education Working Group -Small Group Meetings

Please visit the Budget & Education Working Group page for meeting details, recordings & links.                                           

Join each meeting here

 

 


Superintendent Arntzen's Legislator Awards

 

Superintendent's Award for Influence in Education

 

Representative Jodee Etchart

Representative Jodee Etchart
Bilings, MT

Representative Ue Vinton Headshot

Representative Sue Vinton
Billings, MT

Representative Mike Hopkins

Representative Mike Hopkins
Missoula, MT

Representative David Bedey Headshot

Representative DAvid Bedey
Hamilton, MT

Representative Jedediah Hinkle

Representative Jedediah Hinkle
Belgrade, MT

Senator Fuller Headshot

Senator Fuller
Kalispell, MT

Rep. Windy Boy Headshot

Representative Windy Boy 
Box Elder, MT

Senator Theresa Manzella Headshot

Senator Theresa Manzella
Hamilton, MT

 

Montana Hope Awards

 

Representative Bob Keenan Headshot

Representative Bob Keenan
Bigfork, MT

Representative Seekins-Crowe Headshot

Representative Seekins-Crowe
Billings, MT

Representative Seekins-Crowe Headshot

Representative Naarah Hastings
Billings, MT

 

Montana Teach Awards

 

Representative Fred Anderson Headshot

Representative Fred Anderson
Great Falls, MT

Representative Marta Bertoglio Headshot

Representative Marta Bertoglio
Clancy, MT

Representative Shannon O'Brien Headshot

Representative Shannon O'Brien
Missoula, MT

 

Montana Learn Awards

 

Representative Braxton Mitchell Headshot

Representative Braxton Mitchell
Great Falls, MT

Representative Greg Kmetz Headshot

Representative Greg Kmetz
Miles City, MT

Representative Bob Phalen Headshot

Representative Bob Phalen
Lindsay, MT

 

Montana Ready Awards

 

Representative Greg Oblander Headshot

Representative Greg Oblander
Billings, MT

Representative Becky Beard Headshot

Representative Becky Beard
Elliston, MT

Archived 68th Legislative Session Information

68th Legislative Transmittal Packet          68th End-of-Session Wrap-Up

 

68th Session Priority Legislation

1. A Promise is a Promise:
Base Aid requirements to fund Public Schools.

2. Teacher Dollars Working for Teachers:
Teacher Licensing fees supporting the teacher licensing system.

3. Updating Audiology Equipment:
One-time-only funding.

4. Student Mental Health:
Amending mental health tuition payments to allow tuition for any residential mental health.

 

Further OPI Legislation

Family Teacher Flexibility Elections
Immunity for use of a legal name Consolidate licenses to three types: teacher, administrator, and specialist State-tribal education compact Move school elections to the primary election date
Montana Interstate Children's Compact Commission Permanent Position Require current contact information for licensees and applicants Require textbook content to align to content standards  
Identify violation of sexuality instruction statute as a gross neglect of duty Expand Teach Act Access to telework employees  
Empower families through local grievance process Move to 8 years in teacher retirement with sunset Apply open meeting laws to associations composed of public bodies  
Digital pre-K learning for kindergarten entrance Continue the Teacher Residency program Return Perkins financial control to OPI  
    Expand choice for local schools  
    Flexible teacher retirement and reemployment  
    Career coaches  

 

Previous Meetings and Events

Previous Meetings and Events

Celebrating Parents as the First Teachers January 2, 2023   12:00 pm   Capitol Rotunda
Swearing in Ceremony January 2, 2023 1:00 pm  
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Panel    January 2, 2023 2:00 pm   Capitol Room 303  
Indian Education For All   February 14, 2023   12:00 pm Capitol Rotunda
Celebrating Women’s History March 22, 2023 12:00 pm Capitol Rotunda
Special Olympics Montana - Recognition of Unified Champions March 28, 2022 12:00 pm Capitol Rotunda
MT Ready Day April 12, 2023 12:00 pm Capitol Rotunda

 

Click to view the 2023 Session Calendar

 

Education Resources

Previous Legislative Sessions

Education Caucus Meeting Materials

January 10, 2023:

Agenda

Related Materials:


January 24, 2023:


February 7, 2023:


February 21, 2023:

Agenda

Related Materials:

  • Coming Soon 

March 14, 2023:


March 21, 2023:

Agenda

Related Materials:

  • Coming Soon 

April 4, 2023:

Agenda

Related Materials:


April 18, 2023:

Agenda

Related Materials:

Tribal Education Caucus Meeting Materials

January 5, 2023:


January 12, 2023:


January 19, 2023:


January 26, 2023:


February 2, 2023:


February 9, 2023:


February 16, 2023:


February 23, 2023:


March 9, 2023:


March 16, 2023:


March 23, 2023:


March 30, 2023:


April 6, 2023:


April 13, 2023:


April 20, 2023:

Agenda | Recording

Related Materials:

 


OPI Staff are here to help:

 
Katie Bloodgood, Legislative Liaison, 406-444-2082

Meet the Superintendent's Executive Staff

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