Education (Teachers)

This bill amends Montana education law to allow school districts and athletic organizations to restrict home school students who are not U.S. citizens from participating in extracurricular activities. The legislation maintains existing protections for home school students who are U.S. citizens, ensuring they cannot be barred from participation solely based on their enrollment status or attendance hours. For all home school students, the bill requires written verification of academic eligibility from their home school educator, with principal verification that excludes student assessments. The changes take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

This bill amends Montana education laws to restrict how pupil-instruction-related days can be used and changes requirements for school closures during teacher organization meetings. It removes the mandate that school trustees must close schools for annual meetings of teacher organizations and clarifies that pupil-instruction-related days cannot be used for attending state meetings of teacher organizations. The legislation also adjusts payment rules for teachers attending professional development meetings, stating that teachers may attend without loss of salary but may not be paid if they do not attend. These changes take effect on July 1, 2025, and directly affect school districts, teachers, and the Montana Board of Public Education.

HB 557 would revise Montana education laws to limit how schools can use teacher professional development days. Specifically, it prohibits using "pupil-instruction-related days" (PIR days) for attending state teacher organization meetings, removes the requirement for school boards to close schools for these annual meetings, and changes attendance policies so teachers who skip these meetings may not be paid. The bill directly affects public school teachers, school districts, and the state's education funding structure by altering how professional development time is structured and compensated. These changes would have taken effect July 1, 2025, but the bill died in committee on May 22, 2025.