Article Summary –
Public school districts in Montana are preparing to implement a new law aimed at boosting reading proficiency among the state’s youngest students. The law, House Bill 352, will end the Running Start program at Bozeman Public Schools that offered kindergarten instruction for children under age 5, and instead, the district plans to introduce summer literacy classes, at-home instruction options, and an expansion of classrooms for 4-year-old students. The legislation was intended to clarify the admission of under-5 students, improve student literacy by the end of third grade, and increase state funding for early childhood education efforts.
Montana Schools Retooling Early Childhood Education
Montana public school districts are gearing up to modify their early childhood education programs. The changes come as state education officials edge closer to enacting a new law, aimed at improving reading proficiency among young students.
Bozeman Public Schools is ending its nine-year-old Running Start program, which provided early kindergarten lessons for children under 5. Superintendent Casey Bertram said the district is now establishing new programs made possible by House Bill 352. These provide options such as summer literacy classes, at-home instruction, and expanded classes for 4-year-olds.
New Literacy Program
The early literacy plan Bozeman Public Schools is forming aims to offer more substantial programming. Despite the final details being under construction, the primary target is to maximize services available to eligible students.
Over the past decade, Bozeman and other districts have enrolled students under 5 using an “exceptional circumstances” provision. This led to rapid growth in such enrollments and raised lawmakers’ concerns about state funds’ usage for pre-K programs, resulting in HB 352. The bill, passed with robust bipartisan support, targets early childhood instruction on literacy rates improvement by third grade end and expanded state funding.
Bozeman Reads Success
Bozeman Public Schools initiated Bozeman Reads to work towards the district’s early literacy goal. The program, backed by nonprofit Bozeman Schools Foundation, is witnessing considerable success, and additional funding from HB 352 will enable expansion.
Updates on HB 352 will be communicated to parents via the district’s enrollment webpage and newsletters. The district is still awaiting the Board of Public Education’s regulations detailing how HB 352 will be implemented. The board’s advisory council has recommended flexibility in the process.
The comment period on the proposed rules remains open until January 7, with the board planning to review the suggestions later this month. Lance Melton, Montana School Boards Association Executive Director and advisory council member, predicts no major disruptions to current early kindergarten programs. Instead, he foresees broader instruction for under-5 children and expects student evaluations to start this spring for fall 2024 enrollment.
Impact of HB 352
For Superintendent Bertram, the evaluations signify a significant departure from the Running Start program. The new law focuses not just on early kindergarten but continues to offer state support through third grade. Bertram shared his excitement about the potential of HB 352 to be a game-changer in achieving the district’s literacy goals.
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