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Heated hearing on 'Transparency in Education' bill pits parental-access proponents against advocates for student privacy
Summary
Senate Bill 299 would require districts to disclose curriculum, policy, and student information to parents and create complaint avenues; proponents framed it as parental‑rights protection while opponents warned it would endanger vulnerable students and complicate district operations. The committee held extended testimony but took no vote.
Senator John Fuller opened testimony on Senate Bill 299, the "Transparency in Education Act," saying "Public schools have no right to shut parents out of their child's education and development" and that the bill would give parents access to curriculum, policies and information schools keep about their children.
Proponents included Jordan Carpenter of Alliance Defending Freedom, who said the bill protects parental rights and remedies perceived gaps in FERPA enforcement, and a representative of the Montana Family Foundation who described cases in which parents later learned of counselor‑led social transitions. Carpenter argued the bill gives parents a process and recourse when they…
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