K–12 education is a primary force that forges and changes our society generation after generation. We all are involved—through children, grandchildren, paying taxes or perhaps as teachers, administrators, staff, elected trustees or volunteer service providers. And much is happening in the education sphere that we should stay aware of.
Among the 705 bills adopted and approved during the 2021 regular legislative session of the 67th Legislative Assembly in Montana, there were 147 education-related bills, including ongoing appropriations of $2.156 billion biennial funding, numerous policy advances and program enhancements, plus elementary and secondary school emergency relief funding over three years of $593.4 million for public schools and nearly $20 million for home and private schools.
Legislators, Montana Office of Public Instruction staff, education advocacy organizations, the Governor’s Office and Attorney General Austin Knudsen are among those working together diligently to ensure the pandemic-related education funds are distributed equitably across Montana and that a significant portion of the once-in-a-lifetime largesse is used for digital infrastructure, digital academy, data collection and consolidated state reporting to the U.S. Department of Education, so that productivity at local schools may be maximized.
