This bill directs Montana state funding to school districts to support programs for English language learners, addressing a current gap in the state's school funding formula. It provides matching state funds for districts that receive federal grants for English learner programs and establishes annual stipends for teachers with specialized certifications in English as a second language or culturally and linguistically diverse education. Teachers in high-poverty or impacted schools receive higher stipend amounts, with the state covering a significant portion of the payment while districts contribute a smaller share. The legislation appropriates $5 million for program funding and $25,000 for teacher stipends over two fiscal years, with provisions for supplemental funding if initial appropriations are insufficient.
This bill amends Montana's state education goals to explicitly include media literacy as a priority for public elementary and secondary schools. It requires schools to work with parents to teach students skills for accessing, analyzing, evaluating, creating, and acting using various forms of communication. The legislation also aims to reduce students' vulnerability to disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, and indoctrination. By adding this as a formal legislative goal, the bill ensures media literacy becomes a standard part of the state's educational framework alongside other existing goals like financial literacy and critical thinking.
This bill amends Montana law to allow schools to maintain a supply of stock albuterol for emergency use and to permit students with asthma or severe allergies to carry and self-administer their prescribed medication during school hours and related activities. It defines key terms like "stock albuterol" and "authorized personnel" and requires schools to obtain written parental authorization, physician documentation, and proof of the student's ability to use the medication before allowing self-administration. The legislation also establishes liability protections for schools and their employees, limiting their responsibility to cases involving gross negligence, willful misconduct, or intentional torts. Additionally, the bill requires that all necessary documentation be kept on file and mandates that permissions be renewed annually or when medication conditions change.
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.
This bill updates the laws governing Montana's School Funding Interim Commission, which studies and recommends changes to the state's public school funding formula. The commission will be formed every fifth legislative interim, with appointments due by April 1 of each year. For the 2025-2026 session, the commission must first create an Innovation and Excellence in Education Working Group to develop recommendations for improving public schools before conducting its main study. The commission consists of 22 members including legislators, education officials, and public appointees, and will issue a report with findings and potential funding formula changes to the legislature.
This bill proposes changing how Montana school districts collect their base funding by shifting from individual district levies to a single countywide levy system. Under the new system, property taxes would be collected at the county level to support school district budgets, and the amount of tuition charged to students would be adjusted to reflect this change. The legislation also updates related state laws governing how school districts use nonlevy revenue, manages guaranteed tax base aid, and defines the responsibilities of local officials like trustees and county treasurers in administering the new funding structure.
This bill requires Montana public schools to include education on preventing child sex trafficking and human trafficking as part of their curriculum goals. It directs the Office of Public Instruction to develop resources, coordinate with community partners, and support school districts in creating awareness programs and prevention materials for students, teachers, and families. The law also adds a specific legislative goal to the state's education standards, ensuring schools work with parents to teach students how to recognize and avoid involvement in trafficking situations. These changes take effect on July 1, 2025.
This bill authorizes Montana's Community Choice School Commission to seek and receive public funding for its operations, in addition to its existing ability to accept private donations. The legislation amends state law to clarify that the commission can obtain public funds as long as they align with the commission's purposes of supporting choice schools. It also maintains the commission's current structure, which includes seven members appointed by various state officials, and allows the commission to use private gifts for either its own operations or to distribute to authorized choice schools. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.
This bill requires Montana school districts to offer a released time program that allows students to leave regular classes for religious instruction, with each student receiving at least one hour per week. The program must be requested in writing by a parent or guardian and cannot use public school property or public funds for religious teaching. School districts must also create a policy to award academic credit for these courses based on neutral, secular criteria such as class hours, syllabus content, assessment methods, and instructor qualifications, without evaluating religious content or denominational affiliation. The changes take effect on July 1, 2025, and apply to all public school districts in the state.
This bill directs Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Office of Public Instruction to create a plan for expanding mental health education to all public schools in the state. The plan must include curriculum details, financial and technical support mechanisms, data collection methods, and focus on specific areas like bullying, suicide prevention, and substance use. The agencies are required to submit interim progress reports by September 2025 and January 2026, with a final plan due by May 2026. The legislation also requires the secretary of state to notify federally recognized tribal governments about the act.
