Big Sky Times

Empowers students and parents through education reforms

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte on May 19 signed a package of pro-student, pro-parent bills into law to transform the delivery of K-12 education in Montana. The package expands access to individualized learning opportunities and empowers parents to pursue the education that best meets the needs of their child.

“Our focus in education is and has always been advancing commonsense reforms to support teachers, empower parents, and help students reach their full potential,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We made great progress on that this legislative session, delivering wins that will open the doors to greater opportunity for young Montanans.”

Last fall, the governor unveiled his pro-student, pro-parent, pro-teacher education agenda for 2023, which includes increasing educational opportunities for Montana students.

Delivering on his commitment on May 19, the governor first signed the Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act into law. Sponsored by House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, R-Billings, House Bill 393 authorizes education savings accounts for students with special needs, empowering parents to pursue the education that best meets the needs of their child.

“Each child is unique and deserves access to the best education possible to meet his or her individual needs. This is especially true for the more than 18,000 students in Montana who require specialized education services,” the governor said.

The new law offers parents of students with special needs the opportunity to direct the state share of their child’s education funding to an education savings account, while providing strong oversight of the accounts to ensure funds are appropriately spent on eligible education expenses.

Second, the governor signed a pair of bills to authorize public charter schools and community choice schools in Montana. House Bill 549, brought by Rep. Fred Anderson, R-Great Falls, creates a public charter school system overseen by local school boards and the Board of Public Education. House Bill 562, sponsored by Majority Leader Vinton, authorizes community choice schools with oversight by local charter boards and a state charter commission that is attached to the Board of Public Education.

“Government should never stand between parents and their kid’s education,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We’re empowering Montana parents to choose what’s best for their family and their kids. We’re putting students and parents first in education.”

Third, signing House Bill 408 into law, the governor increased the caps of the Big Sky Scholarship Program and the Innovative Education Program from $2 million to $5 million, expanding access to education opportunities for children in low to middle-income families. The programs are funded through tax-incentivized private donations. Majority Leader Vinton sponsored House Bill 408.

The Big Sky Scholarship Program provides lower- and middle-income Montana families with scholarships to access education opportunities that best meet the needs of their children. The Innovative Education Program expands work-based and individualized learning opportunities in public schools.

Fourth, the governor signed into law two bills to expand education opportunities for students, regardless of where they live or go to school.

House Bill 749, sponsored by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, modernizes education beyond traditional geographic barriers by strengthening the Montana Digital Academy. The Montana Digital Academy offers students virtual curriculum that might not be available in their physical school that they can access anytime and anywhere.

Complementing reforms to the Montana Digital Academy, House Bill 214, sponsored by Rep. Marta Bertoglio, R-Clancy, authorizes open enrollment in virtual learning courses that best meet the individual students’ needs.

“Thanks to technology, traditional geographic boundaries are no longer a constraint in education, and we’re transforming how we deliver traditional K-12 education,” the governor said.

Finally, the governor expanded educational opportunities for nonpublic and home school students, allowing them to partially enroll in public schools with House Bill 396, sponsored by Naarah Hastings, R-Billings.

Earlier this month, the governor signed into law House Bill 203, sponsored by David Bedey, R-Hamilton, to standardize enrollment in Montana public schools.

Original source can be found here.