Appropriations subcommittee approves a slate of Office of Public Instruction budget packages including digital academy funding and summer EBT match

Helena — The Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education voted to adopt a wide set of budget actions for the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) affecting both state- and local-level programs for the 2027 biennium.

The committee, chaired by Chair Beattie and led in floor motions by Vice Chair Fuller, approved ongoing general‑fund and restricted appropriations, federal grant authority increases, and program-specific requests including continued funding for the Montana Digital Academy, a state match for the new summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) school-food program, and adjustments to teacher-licensure budget authority.

The decisions build on the executive budget and a set of superintendent and agency requests the committee considered in an executive-action session. Julia (Office of Public Instruction staff) described the Montana Digital Academy request as “a request for ongoing general fund for the digital academy clearing house, in order to maintain its operations,” noting it had previously been funded one time only.

Why it matters: the package funds ongoing operations for statewide digital learning supports, continues funding for assessments and database modernization work, provides state matching for a new summer EBT benefit that supplies grocery purchasing support to eligible families when school is out, and makes multiple adjustments to K‑12 aid and facility funds that affect school districts statewide. Several items are designated as restricted, biennial or one‑time appropriations, and some are contingent on companion bills referenced by the sponsors.

Major items approved or discussed

- Montana Digital Academy (DP606, DP621, DP622): committee approved continued operational funding and an AI-focused “Frontier Learning Lab” request designated restricted and one time only; Mr. Neifer (Montana Digital Academy representative) described the lab as a center to help schools adopt edge technologies and to pool purchasing to lower licensing costs for small and rural districts.

- School foods / summer EBT (DP609,…