Montana bill would encourage schools to reintroduce cursive instruction

Representative Zach Wirth opened a House Education Committee hearing on House Bill 445 by saying the measure is "to introduce cursive back into our school programs." The sponsor told the committee the bill is intended as an encouragement rather than a mandate and to give school boards incentive to keep teaching handwriting as part of a balanced curriculum.

The Office of Public Instruction superintendent, Susie Hedlund, told lawmakers "cursive handwriting is not just about pen and paper. It's about the cognitive development, historical literacy, and the preservation of essential skills." Hedlund said many Montana schools currently teach cursive and that, where it occurs, instruction typically falls in third through fifth grades; she said the negotiated rulemaking committee revising the English language arts standards would be the appropriate forum to decide how and where to include handwriting guidance.

A former classroom teacher, Pamela Rainey, testified that focused instruction in handwriting—whether printing or cursive—builds fine motor skills and classroom attention, and that an organized curriculum helps students "be more professional with trained writing." Committee members pressed the sponsor and OPI on practical questions: how many minutes or weeks would be expected, whether time would be taken from other required instruction, and whether the bill should specify grade levels. Hedlund and Board of Public Education executive director McCall Flynn said the standards‑and‑guidance process (negotiated rulemaking and accompanying guidance documents) is where those implementation details would be worked out.

Wirth closed by noting several other states have enacted similar measures and by framing HB445 as a way to ensure cursive continues to be taught in districts that choose to include it. The committee did not take a final vote during the hearing.