Legal

Montana law requires textbook vendors to be licensed with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and bonded with the Montana Secretary of State.

Montana Codes for Textbook Dealers

To obtain a textbook license through the Office of Public Instruction, complete and submit the forms below:

Textbook Dealer Agreement (PDF)

Bonding Form (PDF)

*Include a $15 check for the filing fee made payable to the MT Secretary of State.*

Submit completed forms to

Once signed and processed with the Office of Public Instruction, the documents will be sent along with the check to the Secretary of State’s Office for filing. Textbook companies will be notified of the filing completion and continuation or renewal of bonds.

Bonded Textbook Dealers

• Accelerate Learning
• Amplify
• Art of Education
• Big Sky Life Books
• Discovery Education, Inc.
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
• Just Right Reader, Inc.
• Learning Without Tears
• McGraw-Hill School Education
• Savvas Learning
• Studies Weekly, Inc.
• Teachers' Curriculum Institute
• Zealot Interactive

If “Verification in Process” appears after a company name, please contact the Office of Public Instruction to confirm that the bonding process has been completed with the MT Secretary of State's Office.

Questions or assistance

• John Klein – email: john.klein@mt.gov
• Phone: 406-444-2759
• Last updated: 10/15/2025

Administrative Rules of Montana require all schools to have policies and procedures addressing bullying behavior in schools, on school buses, at school-sponsored activities, and online. Montana Code Annotated defines law relative to bullying.

This page contains resources for students, parents and schools, including:

• Model policies and procedures for schools,
• Montana’s Student Protections and Procedures accreditation rule,
• What you can do if you are being bullied,
• How to respond to cyber-bullying,
• Tips for parents, and
• Links to state and national resources.

Bullying Prevention Resources

Title IX is a federal law that requires recipients of federal funding for education, with a few specific exceptions, to be in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Title IX regulations.

This webpage is designed to assist parents, students, school personnel, and others with resources to offer guidance and technical assistance regarding Title IX.

Montana is what is referred to as a “local control state,” with a great deal of deference given to locally elected school boards in the operation of their districts. Under Article X, Section 8 of the Montana Constitution , “The supervision and control of schools in each school district shall be vested in a board of trustees to be elected as provided by law.” Concerns about an educator should start by following the local school district’s grievance policy. Districts may have a specific policy on this procedure, but this will generally mean meeting with the educator and, as necessary, appealing through the school and district administrations before sharing your concerns with the local school board if the issue has not been resolved.

However, if issues persist after attempting to resolve concerns at the local level, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) may be contacted to address the matter.

As the licensing agency for educators in Montana, the OPI has investigative authority to ensure that all licensed educators in Montana are held to the highest standards of professional conduct. The only concerns that the OPI is empowered by statute to investigate are listed in Montana Code Annotated § 20-4-110(1) :

• making any statement of material fact in applying for a certificate that the applicant knows to be false;
• any reason that would have required or authorized the denial of the teacher, administrator, or specialist certificate to the person if it had been known at the time the certificate was issued;
• incompetency;
• gross neglect of duty;
• conviction of, entry of a guilty verdict, a plea of guilty, or a plea of no contest to a criminal offense involving moral turpitude in this state or any other state or country;
• immoral conduct related to the teaching profession;
• substantial and material nonperformance of the employment contract between the teacher, administrator, or specialist and the trustees of a school or school district without good cause or the written consent of the trustees; or
• denial, revocation, suspension, or surrender of a teacher, administrator, or specialist certificate in another state for any reason constituting grounds for similar action in this state.

If your concerns about an educator are listed above, a complaint may be filed with the OPI. The OPI does not represent complainants, but will investigate concerns raised to it in a timely manner. If, after an investigation, the OPI determines that it has sufficient evidence to advocate for disciplinary action against a licensee, the OPI will present its evidence and recommendations to the Board of Public Education, which has the ultimate decision authority on such matters. To learn more about the policies and procedures that the OPI and BPE follow when investigating a licensee, see: Educator Licensure Committee Process (PDF) .

To file a complaint with the OPI, please complete the Educator Complaint Form (PDF) (use the Extra Pages form (PDF) if you require additional space) and send it, along with any supporting documentation, to:

Should you have any questions about this process or require assistance completing the documentation, please contact the Legal Unit at (406) 444-5882 and someone will provide the clarification or help you need.

2025 School Laws of Montana (PDF)

IDEA Law – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.) (PDF)

Administrative Rules of Montana – Department 10: Education

2025 Court Judgment Regarding FAPE (PDF)

Montana Code Annotated (MCA)

Education and Title VI | U.S. Department of Education

Carl Perkins

School Nutrition