Education
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Will federal changes affect free lunches to Montana students?
In Missoula and other school districts, students are fed regardless of their ability to pay. But that unpaid meal debt can add up, with Missoula’s balance sitting at $384,716 at the beginning of this school year.
Latest education Reporting
The legacy of a shuttered school
Brady’s reunion put on display the powerful outcomes of one rural school — graduates who had gone on to do farming and teaching, business and healthcare. That so many people came back to celebrate Brady and its long-closed school showed something else, too: a heartfelt connection with a place and the collective past.
The big ambitions in some of Montana’s smallest graduating classes
Outside of major cities like Billings or Bozeman, rural school districts exist to serve some of the state’s most remote communities, from Lima to Westby. What is it like to be among Montana’s smallest graduating classes? Over five months and many miles on the road, we worked to understand what it means to be one…
Public school levies pass in 3 of Montana’s larger school districts, fail in 3 others
Voters in Bozeman, Missoula and Butte approved levies, while measures in Helena, Billings and Kalispell failed amid a difficult period for school districts in winning resident approval.
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MORE EDUCATION REPORTING
School, special district election ballots due Tuesday
Many Montana school districts are requesting levies to help pay for general operations or for specific technology or safety costs.
Changes to Native tuition waiver could expand access to higher education for thousands. Was it inspired by a misunderstanding?
Starting July 1, a new population of prospective students will be eligible for American Indian tuition waivers in Montana — a shift that could make college more affordable for thousands of people and affect campus budgets. The change is also receiving mixed reactions from tribal leaders.
Montana schools are struggling to pass funding levies
Data compiled by the Montana School Boards Association indicates fewer districts are running local-option levies — and fewer are getting a thumbs-up from voters.
Fireworks-and-gasoline ‘device’ causes Helena High School students to cancel anti-ICE protest
The device consisted of a jug of gasoline and fireworks, according to a statement from Helena Public Schools. The explosive materials were discovered on private property near Dakota and Davis street, according to a police press release.
University of Montana proposes cutting master’s programs in literature and economics
The proposals will be reviewed by the university’s Faculty Senate before going to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education for final approval.
Struck down by court, education savings accounts could persist for current school year while litigation continues
Education groups and disability rights advocates are sparring with the Montana Office of Public Instruction over whether publicly funded savings accounts for private education and services for disabled students can remain in effect for the duration of the school year.
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MORE EDUCATION REPORTING
Montana judge blocks education savings accounts for students with special needs
A Montana district court judge has blocked House Bill 393, the Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act, halting the state’s first education savings account program. The decision found the Legislature failed to make a lawful appropriation for the program, which would have allowed parents of students with disabilities to redirect per-pupil funding to private…
Undercover recordings distorted teacher training, union official said
A conservative activist’s audio recordings of a fall educator conference in Missoula have reignited a debate about how teachers in Montana access professional development training. MTFP talked to the activist, conference attendees, and the state Office of Public Instruction, and reviewed several audio recordings to compile this account of what transpired and the potential implications.
Aimed at improving student reading skills, free preschool in Billings shows promise
Pre-K classroom programs across Montana showed promise in their first year. Out of the 2,025 students across the state who participated, 57% learned enough in the program to no longer be eligible for it.
A school funding lawsuit brews as commission evaluates K-12 funding formula
A potential legal challenge to the state’s current education funding system, organized by Helena-based Upper Seven Law, is still being drafted but will likely be filed by the end of 2025, Upper Seven Executive Director Rylee Sommers-Flanagan told Montana Free Press. It comes as a commission is studying school funding in advance of the 2027…
Montana professor still sidelined for Kirk comments
Montana State University-Northern placed a professor on leave in response to social media comments she made about the assassination of the conservative figure Charlie Kirk. The school said it will evaluate the situation, but it’s unclear what that evaluation will include.
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