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Board approves regional 3‑year accreditation cycles and 2024–25 school accreditation statuses
Summary
The Montana Board of Public Education approved regional 3‑year accreditation cycles and ratified 2024–25 accreditation statuses for K–12 schools after OPI and superintendents described improvements to the accreditation platform and debated the administrative burden on small districts.
The Montana Board of Public Education approved a regional three‑year accreditation schedule and accepted the Office of Public Instruction’s 2024–25 accreditation determinations at its May 16 meeting in Great Falls.
OPI accreditation senior manager Crystal Andrews told the board the year‑two cycle completed the new evidence‑based accreditation process. She said the system produced more consistent reviewer training and compiled evidence more efficiently than the initial rollout. After a resubmission window for certain rubrics, OPI reported 814 schools in regular status, 14 with regular status with minor deviation, 21 in advice and 6 in deficiency for 2024–25.
Superintendents who served on OPI’s think tank praised improvements to rubrics and the new online platform but warned the volume of required documentation was onerous for smaller districts. Elliot Crump, superintendent at Shelby Public Schools, said the process in its current form risks pulling small‑district administrators away from classroom support and extracurricular duties. He recommended clearer calendars, reduced redundancy and relying more on district certification with randomized verification.
Board members discussed balancing trust in local governance with the need for documentary evidence. The board voted to adopt a regional rotation for accreditation reviews (a three‑group arrangement of MAS regions) so that districts would be reviewed on staggered multi‑year cycles; the motion passed by voice vote. Crystal Andrews noted that schools in deficiency status will be scheduled in the first cycle regardless of regional assignment.
The board then moved to approve the 2024–25 accreditation report as recommended by the state superintendent. Members said the new system represents a shift from compliance toward evidence‑based review and emphasized the need for OPI to continue streamlining data pulls from existing systems and minimizing duplicate uploads.
OPI will publish final district reports in the accreditation platform following board approval. Board members asked for continued attention to calendar alignment, further work reducing redundant evidence collection and expanded guidance for small and multi‑school districts.
