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Committee hears bill to transition transformational learning grants to development phase
Summary
Representative Beatty presented House Bill 573 to shift Montana’s Transformational Learning Grant program into a phase 2 development stage, selecting districts for deeper work and providing FY2027 funding; proponents emphasized teacher development and work-based learning while opponents raised questions about midstream funding obligations.
House Bill 573, introduced by Representative David Beatty, would transition Montana’s Transformational Learning Grant program from its initial, experimental phase to a targeted phase 2 development program that funds up to five selected districts to develop proficiency-based learning models that can be scaled statewide.
Beatty told the committee that more than $11 million has been distributed to districts under the program for fiscal years 2020 through 2025. HB 573 would (1) terminate the current grant program at the end of FY 2026, (2) direct the Superintendent of Public Instruction to select districts to continue under a phase 2 development grant, and (3) provide FY 2027 funding to those selected districts, with phase 2 set to conclude at the end of FY 2028.
Proponents included the Montana Contractors Association’s executive director David Smith, who said the construction industry supports work-based learning and that Build Montana and other CTE programs have benefited from the grants. Katie Bloodgood, legislative liaison for the Office of Public Instruction, urged support, saying the bill builds on student-centered, proficiency-based learning and expands opportunities for remote and work-based learning.
Superintendent Matt Jensen of Kalispell Public Schools described implementation steps in his district: staff onboarding ("boot camp" training), launch teams, site visits, district impact teams and a PCB Summit focused on high-quality teaching and learning. Jensen and other proponents stressed partnerships with consultants (KnowledgeWorks, School Services of Montana, Montana State University) and goals of student agency and scaling successful local models.
The bill would rely on an appropriation included in HB 2; Representative Beatty told the committee the appropriation for the program is approximately $2.5 million per year. Questions from members focused on how current grantees in midstream would be treated; proponents, including the Montana School Boards Association, asked for clarity that districts already midstream should have the opportunity to finish multi-year commitments. The bill’s language allows districts that receive funding in 2026 to expend it over an extended period so that funds already awarded are not abruptly rescinded.
Committee members asked whether phase 1 sites would be eligible to continue; Beatty and proponents said the Superintendent would select districts to move into the development phase and that decisions would be made based on the progress of programs and reporting. No final committee action was recorded during the hearing; the sponsor closed by urging a yes vote when the bill reaches executive action.
