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Montana’s Department of Administration last week partially restored the Office of Public Instruction’s authority to independently award contracts for third-party goods and services, stating that the agency has made “significant progress” in...

Under a new law signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, school districts across Montana will begin working on the creation of a statewide insurance trust aimed at driving down the cost of health benefits for teachers, administrators and other public school...

State lawmakers, county election administrators and the Montana Association of Counties have established an unpublicized informal workgroup to examine Montana’s current election processes and discuss opportunities to enhance the election system...

During a special meeting Thursday, the Montana Board of Public Education combed through more than 130 public comments submitted on proposed revisions to state teacher licensing regulations — one of the final steps toward adoption of the changes nex...

An effort to call a special session of the Montana Legislature via lawmaker poll failed to gain majority support last week. According to the results compiled by the Montana Secretary of State’s office after the 5 p.m. deadline, 44 legislators...

A pair of public school board trustees from Missoula and Kalispell emailed a letter to state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen Tuesday refuting recent criticisms of her leadership of the Office of Public Instruction and praising her "steadfast support"...

On November 30, Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Michael McMahon struck down provisions of Montana's new "constitutional carry" law that apply to college campuses, ruling that the law violates the constitutional authority of the Montana...

MISSOULA — Leaders of Montana’s K-12 and higher education systems convened on the University of Montana campus Friday to discuss strategic goals and ongoing challenges to improve the quality of education for students across the state. Addressing...

Tammy Wham can't get her hands on canned corn or whole grain muffins. Both are staples in the public school kitchen in Ennis, where Wham serves as kitchen manager - or, she quips, "head lunch lady." Wham and her staff serve breakfast and lunch to...

Last fall and spring, Montana's public school system reported notable declines in student enrollment attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that trend appears to be reversing as K-12 schools across the state have returned to in-person instruction...

Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate approved a $1.2 trillion spending plan aimed at addressing critical national infrastructure needs. The bill is poised to inject billions of dollars into Montana’s highways, bridges, water systems and broadband,...

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry this week offered guidance to government agencies and private businesses on how to adhere to a new state law barring discriminating against people on the basis of vaccination status. The agency's...

Over the past six weeks, two review committees convened by the Montana Office of Public Instruction have begun discussing potential revisions to state regulations governing educator licensure. So far their deliberations have focused on bolstering rec...

HELENA — On Friday, the Montana Office of Public Instruction delivered an update to the state Board of Public Education about the status of federal COVID-19 relief funds for K-12 schools. According to the figures presented by OPI Chief Financial...

HELENA — Montana’s five-member redistricting commission voted earlier this month to formally adopt criteria to guide its work in establishing lines for the state’s new congressional district. A vote on criteria governing how the commission...

After months of legislative debate, Montanans are beginning to glimpse how new laws passed by the 67th Legislature are poised to impact their lives. For county and municipal leaders, those impacts amount to a notable reduction in their ability to...

Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen highlighted several legislative priorities for the state's public schools Thursday, including a push to offer increased funding security for special needs students in Montana.  Arntzen's statements...

Throughout 2020, political contenders of all stripes made the same straightforward promise, one that's now as familiar to Montana voters as spring runoff or November snowstorms: to be a champion for public lands. This election-year refrain arrived...