Education

How much does it cost to teach a child in Montana, and what’s the right way to pay the bill? That’s the question a group of lawmakers and education advocates will attempt to answer over the next year and a half. MTPR’s Austin Amestoy sat down with host Elinor Smith to explain why finding the answer could be easier said than done.

Helena voters approved two school bonds by a few hundred votes, unofficial results showed Wednesday. A new high school, elementary school and extensive renovations are on the way.

The Trump administration has ordered states to change school curricula or lose funding for pregnancy prevention programs. The administration wants language related to "gender ideology" removed. It’s a move in line with other actions aiming to remove legal recognition for transgender and nonbinary people.

Last school year, the state implemented a new standardized test designed to make sure students are meeting state and federal requirements. But teachers say the rollout has been a mess.

Montana was one of the last states in the nation that allowed schools to disenroll students with disabilities once they turned 18, according to nonprofit Disability Rights Montana. Advocacy director Tal Goldin says the organization sued the state earlier this year to end that policy. It won this month when Montana opted to settle the suit.

Helena voters next month will decide the fate of a more than quarter-billion-dollar public school bond. District officials say their buildings are crumbling, and without new facilities or major improvements, students and teachers could be forced to make painful compromises. Helena Independent Record education reporter Sonny Tapia has been following the story and joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy with more.

The U.S. Department of Education Friday released billions of dollars in funding previously approved by Congress and withheld by the Trump administration. Montana schools were considering staff and program cuts to make up for the state's $26 million slice of funds.

More than 23,000 Montanans will soon see their student loan balance increase for the first time in at least a year. Interest will start accruing for borrowers on the SAVE plan next week.

Helena Public Schools officials say a new partnership will bring dedicated art instruction to elementary schools for the first time in years.

Briefs: Polson medical center expansion will double primary care services; Montana launches teacher apprenticeship program; Public comment opens on proposed BLM oil and gas leases; FWP urges anglers to kill and report brown trout caught on the Flathead River.