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Board approves rulemaking, accreditations, a grant and screening tools in Ronan meeting
Summary
The Board approved adoption of a special‑education technician license rule (effective May 1), provisional accreditations for several charters, accreditation actions for ABCTE and MSU Billings, a one‑semester extension for MSU Northern, the Lame Deer Advanced Opportunities grant application, and the approved list of early‑numeracy screening tools.
At its March 19 session in Ronan, the Board of Public Education approved a set of administrative and accreditation actions brought forward by the superintendent and OPI staff.
Key approvals included:
• ARM rulemaking: The board approved the notice of adoption to create ARM Title 10, Chapter 57 (special‑education technician licensure). Presenters said the new rules will be effective May 1 and will expand the pipeline for class 9 special‑education technicians.
• Accreditation approvals: The board approved the final state exit report for Montana State University Billings and the American Board (ABCTE) program approval and recommended timelines for periodic review. The board also approved provisional accreditation periods for several public charter schools (including Central Montana Career Technical Education Academy, Bay‑Corn Academy, Youth Pathway Academy, Libby Central Charter and Ronan Charter) as recommended by the superintendent.
• MSU Northern extension: The board granted MSU Northern a one‑semester good‑cause extension for a required review, following the university’s request related to staffing and the recent passing of a faculty member.
• Grants and screening tools: The board approved the Lame Deer School District’s Montana Advanced Opportunities application for FY2027 (the application arrived late due to weather and staffing but had local board approval). The board also approved an OPI‑curated list of screening tools aligned to Title 10, Chapter 54 early‑numeracy targeted‑intervention standards.
Votes on these items were taken by voice; presenters provided brief summaries of public comment or the absence of comment where applicable. The board closed its agenda and recessed until the following morning for site visits and local meetings.
Votes at a glance: all listed items carried on voice votes as recorded in the transcript.
