June 16, 2023

Post-Session Action Alerts

Speak Out Against Publicly-Funded Charter School Bills!

This is a special edition of our Legislative Action Alerts - the session may have ended but the threats to Montana’s students and families are STILL COMING. 

What: OPI will be hosting a Zoom meeting to discuss charter school legislation, titled Comparing Charter School Bills: Public Charter Schools (HB 549) and Community Choice Schools (HB 562)

What: HB 549, Authorizing establishment of public charter schools

Position: Tell OPI we do not support this harmful bill

When: Between 7 and 8 PM on Wednesday, June 21 

Where: Join the Zoom: Launch Meeting - Zoom

Position: OPPOSE

Background: allows the supervision of public charter schools to be in the purview of not only the local boards of the trustees, but also a separately elected school board in conjunction with the Board of Public Education. 

Talking Points: 

• Access to public education is a constitutional right. This bill will undermine and underfund our public schools. 
• Are these public charter schools really required to admit all students like non-charter public schools? The bill language is unclear.
• How will public schools be supported in this loss of funding, while still needing to provide services to their existing students?
• Only a very small number of students will benefit, and students from rural areas will never have the option to attend a charter school. Additionally, students in urban areas will be left behind in traditional public schools with less funding.
• This will have a negative impact on the budgets of local school districts. 
• Will charter schools be required to meet the same accreditation standards as other public schools? 

What:  HB 562 - Authorizes establishment of “community choice” schools , (which is a fancy way of saying charter schools) 

Position: Tell OPI we do not support this harmful bill

When: Between 7 and 8 PM on Wednesday, June 21 

Where: Join the Zoom: Launch Meeting - Zoom

Position: OPPOSE

Talking Points: 

• Access to public education is a constitutional right. This bill will undermine and underfund our public schools. 
• This will have a negative impact on funding for local public schools.
• Charter schools or “community choice” schools do not serve urban and rural students equally and charter schools or “community choice” schools have been shown to underserved students with disabilities and special needs.
• Will these “community choice” schools be held to the same standards and accreditations as public schools?