Superintendent Hill outlines legislative priorities and district rollout of teacher-clarity, personalized learning and grant uses

Superintendent Micah Hill told trustees the district is tracking more than 280 education-related bills and urged trustees to engage with state advocacy organizations if they want those organizations to take positions. Hill outlined the district’s policy priorities and legislative stances and described how recent and anticipated state funding will be used to support teacher pay, special education, and work-based learning.

Hill said the district supports a 3% inflationary increase over the next two years and the STARS Act, which the superintendent described as a funding package intended to raise teacher pay. He said the district is asking the state to fully fund IDEA obligations and to increase support for developmental preschool programs (referred to in the transcript as “A and B” preschool funding). Hill gave a district figure for one preschool program of approximately $1,300,000 per year in cost, noting the district receives about $56,000 in federal support for that program and no local revenue specifically for the A and B portion of that program.

Hill also stated the district opposes vouchers and any redirected public funds to private education, and he said the district will resist legislation that curtails local control over curriculum and narrow vendor selection for curriculum purchases. He described “discriminatory and manufactured crisis legislation” — including bills commonly reported on in public debate such as restroom-related measures — and said the district will stand for educating all students regardless of background: "we educate all students, regardless," Hill said.

On district program implementation, Hill described the transformational learning grant mechanics: the district received a state allocation of $362,850 (one-half of the district’s referenced quality educator payment) and noted a statewide appropriation used a lottery process to sequence awards. Hill explained that the district reduced the number of FTE reported on the grant application so that both elementary and high school programs could receive comparable funding.

Barbara (district staff) briefed trustees on the three-year teacher-clarity implementation. She said the district is in year two of the plan, which focuses on gathering evidence that teachers are using high-impact instructional practices and asking students the three core questions: what are you learning, why is it important, and how do you know you’re successful. Barbara said the work is districtwide and that selected schools previously visited by trustees demonstrated the three-question approach with students from kindergarten through high school.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about which schools are piloting expeditionary learning (Barbara identified Franklin, Bridal and Teach Academy), how the three-year plan will move into deliberate practice and professional development next year, and what the district is doing to expand work-based learning. Hill and staff cited community partners and specific local placements (for example, Neptune Aviation agreeing to take six students) and described district staff who coordinate placements and scheduling.

Hill also announced that Governor Gianforte plans to visit the district on Feb. 26 to view work related to transformational learning and advanced opportunities.

The board received the update as information and later approved the related grant report and allocations during the consent/voting sequence.