HELENA — Every January, advocates seeking more alternatives to traditional educational models mark “National School Choice Week.” Supporters gathered on the front steps of the Montana State Capitol Friday to hold a school choice rally.
Groups including the Montana Family Foundation and Americans for Prosperity took part in the rally. Educators and students from Helena Christian School and Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell were in attendance.
Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation, says his organization has been working on the school choice issue for around 15 years, and he believes the support has grown significantly over that time.
“I think that there was a pent-up group of people that were trying to find an educational venue that worked for their kids and were frustrated because their kids were struggling and didn't have options,” he said. “As these options become more and more plentiful, people become more and more comfortable with the options.”
School choice was a major topic of debate last legislative session, as lawmakers passed two bills to expand charter schools in Montana. More than a dozen district-run charter schools opened for this school year, while a new state charter school commission has been unable to approve schools yet because of an ongoing lawsuit.
This year, one of the top priority bills speakers at the rally highlighted is House Bill 320, sponsored by Rep. Lee Deming, R-Laurel. It would set up a new state account that would collect private donations and then distribute them to help pay for educational expenses for students outside the public school system. It would also make tax credits available for parents making the expenses and those donating to the account.
“The reason that the bill is so large is because it's going to provide the most educational opportunities for the most children in terms of school choice,” said Laszloffy. “We're hoping that that it just allows kids that are struggling currently in their regular school setting to be able to find an educational opportunity that works for them.”
HB 320 has received support from a number of top Republican lawmakers, including Senate President Sen. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, and House Speaker Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage – one of the speakers at Friday’s rally.
After the rally, many of those in attendance went inside the Capitol to testify in favor of HB 320, during a hearing in the House Education Committee. The bill also drew opposition from public education advocates who said the program wasn’t putting public-school students and others on a level playing field and questioned the structure it would set up for distributing funding.
