Establishing the school mental health promotion pilot program

This bill creates a pilot program to support Montana schools in implementing student-led mental health initiatives. The Office of Public Instruction will administer the program by awarding grants to school districts that demonstrate a specific need for mental health support and show evidence of broad community involvement from students, parents, staff, and local organizations. Each grant will provide between $10,000 and $50,000 for two years, with funds restricted to mental health promotion activities such as counseling access, peer mentoring, schedule modifications, and community-building programs. Participating districts must report annually on how they used the funds and evaluate the program's effectiveness, while the state will provide $250,000 in initial funding to distribute grants starting in 2025.