Funding Skeptic + Surplus = Frustrating Equation For Montana School Officials

By Headwaters News, 12-08-06

Montana school officials’ wish lists to lawmakers are generally just that – hopeful thinking in times of limited funding. But going into this legislative session, Montana lawmakers have a projected $1 billion in surplus funds to divvy up.

The Missoulian reports today that at a meeting in Ravalli County, 60 people representing 40 schools and social services agencies showed up to meet with Sen. Rick Laible, R-Darby, Rep. Ron Stoker, R-Darby, and Rep. Bob Lake, R-Hamilton, to request lawmakers take advantage of the surplus to pump up funding for schools and other programs that benefit children.

School officials pressed their need for funding Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s proposal for all-day kindergarten, a program many officials said their schools simply did not have the space to provide.

But the three lawmakers cautioned that the $1 billion surplus was one-time money and would not be able to support long-term programs.

And a story in today’s Billings Gazette indicated that school officials may face another difficulty during the upcoming legislative season.

Republican lawmakers elected Constitution Party Rick Jore to head up the Montana House Education Committee. Jore has long been a critic of public schools, calling them “government schools," and has advocated that parents be given the option of having their children educated elsewhere. He also believes that federal funding for public schools is unconstitutional.

Jore is the only member of the Constitution Party in the House, but the Ronan lawmaker has said that he will vote with the 50 Republican lawmakers in the House, giving the GOP a one-vote majority over Democrats.

Montana state school officials immediately protested Jore’s election, and said that the decision clearly indicated Republicans’ intention on school funding.

Jore’s five children are home-schooled, and he said he will be sponsoring legislation that will abolish mandatory school attendance, and that he does not believe schools need more funding.

Eric Feaver, the president of the union that represents Montana’s public school teachers, said getting any legislation on increased school funding or other pro-public school issues through Jore’s committee will no doubt prove difficult.

House Speaker Scott Sales of Bozeman called the criticism premature, and said people need to wait and see how Jore performs his job before they criticize him. [End of article]