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Committee hears $1 million teacher mentoring pilot; amendment makes funding one-time
Summary
House Bill 340 would fund a statewide mentoring and induction program for early-career teachers with $1 million proposed in the bill; proponents said such investment would reduce turnover and yield long-term savings. The committee approved a one-time appropriation amendment and later advanced the bill.
Representative Melissa Romano, sponsor of House Bill 340, told the House Appropriations Committee that HB 340 would create a teacher mentoring and induction program intended to reduce early-career teacher turnover in Montana. Romano said the bill proposes $1 million in funding, largely for stipends to experienced mentor teachers and for new-teacher stipends, and that the estimates draw on a prior grant-run program at Montana State University.
Romano said the program’s costs would include mentor stipends ($2,500 for experienced teachers), new-teacher stipends ($600, half required from local districts), and travel to regional meetings and observations. She cited data showing teacher shortages and emergency authorizations and said retaining…
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