SB 118 gives Montana students and parents the right to request deletion of their education data from the statewide K-12 data system. It requires the state education office to delete data within 45 days of a verified request, unless retention is needed for federal/state funding, contracts, or legal orders. The bill mandates accessible request methods (online, mail, email) without requiring account creation and requires annual reporting on deletions. It also updates data system rules to align with privacy standards, including prohibiting social security numbers as student identifiers.
HB 262 sought to establish a state policy requiring early literacy instruction in public schools to be evidence-based and scientifically researched. The bill would have prohibited certain teaching methods, such as those relying on meaning drawn from context, visual cues, or memory, specifically disallowing the three-cueing system. Instead, it mandated that instruction include specific components like phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This policy was intended to apply to public schools across the state, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.
HB 451 revises how tax increment financing (TIF) is calculated for newly established targeted economic development districts and urban renewal areas. For districts created after the bill's effective date, it excludes several specific mill levies from the tax increment calculation. These exclusions include certain university system mills, a portion of elementary, high school, and state equalization mills, new voter-approved levies, and mills for general obligation bond debt service. This means that a larger share of the new property tax revenue generated in these areas would directly go to the affected taxing jurisdictions, rather than into the TIF fund.
HB 255 revises Montana's data privacy rules for K-12 student records held by third-party educational technology providers (like apps or cloud services). It requires school districts to include specific privacy protections in contracts with these vendors, such as prohibiting the use of student data for targeted advertising, ensuring data security, and guaranteeing students or parents can access or correct their records. The bill also allows schools to adopt pre-approved model contracts from privacy-focused consortia to simplify compliance. These changes directly affect school districts, educational tech companies, and students whose data is stored or managed through digital platforms.
HB 320 establishes Montana's Academic Prosperity Program for Scholars (MAPPS) to offer educational options for eligible students aged 5-19. The program provides state income tax credits to individuals and corporations who donate to educational assistance accounts for participating students, and also to parents for their qualified education expenses. A program manager oversees these funds and their distribution for educational assistance, with guidance from a new MAPPS council. Students participating in MAPPS are exempt from public school compulsory enrollment requirements.
HB 373 aimed to revise the allocation of excess state lottery revenue, dedicating it to education funding instead of the state general fund. The Office of Public Instruction would distribute these funds quarterly to school districts based on a per-quality-educator formula. Districts would deposit these funds into their school flexibility funds, which could be used for various expenditures, including teacher salaries, benefits, housing, technology enhancements, and facility improvements.
HB 515 revises state laws concerning funding for school facilities and technology, directly affecting school districts across the state. The bill consolidates two existing state special revenue accounts and increases the amount and multiplier in the state's major maintenance aid formula. These changes are intended to provide more funding to school districts for significant upkeep projects without impacting property taxpayers. Additionally, it revises statutes related to state school technology payments and allows natural resource development payments to support state major maintenance aid and debt service assistance.
House Bill 381 allows 11th and 12th-grade students in public and nonpublic schools to earn elective high school graduation credits for paid or voluntary work in certain care settings. Students can earn one elective credit for every 250 hours worked, up to a maximum of two credits, in approved congregate-care or child-care facilities. Schools must establish an application process for students, which includes details about their work and supervision. Additionally, schools may set specific conditions and requirements for the type of work that qualifies for credit. This act will become effective on July 1, 2025.
HB 845 increases the state income tax deduction for individuals contributing to Family Education Savings Accounts (529 plans). Beginning in tax year 2025, the maximum annual deduction for these contributions will rise from $3,000 to $4,500. The bill also establishes an inflation factor to adjust this maximum deduction amount in subsequent tax years based on the consumer price index. These changes apply retroactively to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, for contributions made to accounts owned by the contributor, their spouse, or a Montana resident child or stepchild.
HB 602 requires school districts in Montana to provide written notice to their board of trustees when staff cuts occur due to insufficient funding. The district superintendent (or principal in districts without one) must submit this notice, prompting the board to add it to the next meeting agenda and allow public comment. This applies specifically to reductions in force affecting teachers, excluding routine nonrenewals under existing law. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, ensuring transparency around funding-driven staffing decisions.
