news
Table of Contents
SD2 proposes converting Washington Elementary into high school 'Innovation Center'
Washington Elementary in Billings could be converted into a campus for high school students focusing on early college and technology careers next year.
Garcia explained that Washington students would be moved next fall to Miles Avenue, Broadwater and Newman elementary schools. Teachers and support staff from Washington would also move with the students.
The district would then convert Washington to house two new programs, one aimed at providing college credits to high school students and the other offering intensive classes for those pursuing technology jobs.
The Early College High School program would enroll students in joint high school and college classes, allowing them to graduate as seniors with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree. It would be the first in the state, Garcia said.
Garcia explained that Washington was chosen as the venue because it has a steadily declining enrollment and now has the lowest enrollment of all 22 district elementary schools. As a result, the school is the most expensive per student to run.
The elementary school district is running on a $3.5 million budget deficit. Using Washington for high school classes would allow SD2 officials to move $1.5 million from the high school district budget into the elementary district, helping to reduce the elementary deficit, Garcia said.
Other financial challenges adding to the district’s woes are the increasing costs of providing health insurance for employees and Montana having the lowest pay in the nation for starting teachers, Garcia said.
Garcia said his proposal is an “administrative decision” not requiring approval of the nine-member school board. However, he said, he does not intend to move forward without the trustees’ support.
Billings Gazette: SD2 proposes converting Washington Elementary into high school 'Innovation Center'
Bozeman schools raise double amount needed to clear 2023 lunch debt
The Bozeman Schools Foundation received more than double its goal to clear all student lunch debt in December.
In the past, Bozeman Public Schools has been able to clear out meal debt after each semester using unsolicited donations from the public, but an increase in negative balances in June made a public campaign necessary, according to the foundation.
In a December interview, district food services director Brittany Selvig told the Chronicle it could cost up to $1.25 million for the district to fund free meals by itself.
At least eight states have passed free school meal legislation. Montana lawmakers introduced a similar bill last legislative session that would have done just that, but the House Education Committee tabled the bill in April.
Schools where 25% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals are eligible for free meal funding under recent changes to the National School Lunch program. About 20% of Bozeman students meet the requirements for free or reduced meals, Selvig previously told the Chronicle.
Montana Right Now: Bozeman schools raise double amount needed to clear 2023 lunch debt
New state law allows nonresident students to apply for Bozeman Public Schools
The 2023 Montana Legislature passed House Bill 203 which opens enrollment to people living outside their desired school district.
“Bozeman Public Schools has typically had closed boundaries due to lots of growth, rapid growth for our resident students,” says BSD7 Superintendent Casey Bertram. “Open enrollment has occurred across the state. It's been a district-by-district decision.”
Superintendent Bertram says the application process for nonresident families wishing to attend Bozeman School District for the 2024-2025 school year is now open.
“There's a percentage built for each district. And so the taxpayers in one district, in essence, pay the taxpayers in another district for educating that student,” says Bertram.
KBZK: New state law allows nonresident students to apply for Bozeman Public Schools
Belgrade School District to ask for additional funds to build new school
In 2019, Belgrade voters approved a bond that would build two elementary schools and repair its middle school. But as construction costs have risen in the past four years, the school board is preparing to vote for an additional bond to complete construction.
KBZK: Belgrade School District to ask for additional funds to build new school
Donors have limited window to support schools and get dollar-for-dollar tax credits
A Montana taxpayer, estate, trust, or business may donate up to $200,000 for the Innovative Education Program tax credit to benefit public schools, or the Student Scholarship Organization (SSO) tax credit to benefit private schools. Each program is allotted $5 million.
Tax credits are on a first-come, first-served basis. Schools are tasked with entering donors' information through an online portal to reserve tax credits for taxpayers. The portal opens at 10 a.m. Jan. 17.
Questions about the equitableness of the tax credit programs, have been raised by school officials when the portal opened in January 2022 after significant changes were made to House Bill 279 by the 2021 Legislature. At the time, $1 million was up for grabs statewide and there wasn’t a limit to how much money one school district could receive. Within minutes, the Innovative Education Program tax credits were claimed by less than a dozen districts.
Some school officials also contended that large school districts, or ones in affluent communities, had a leg up in garnering donations as opposed to smaller districts or ones located in rural communities.
Under House Bill 408, a school district cannot keep donations exceeding either “the greater of $50,000 or $15% of the district’s maximum general fund budget,” or “20% of the total aggregate amount.” Donations exceeding a school district’s limit will be redistributed to other school districts.
news.txt · Last modified: 2024/01/04 05:22 by lmuszkie