Committee: Education Interim Committee
Author: Pad McCracken
Posted on June 2, 2017
The Education Interim Committee will hold its initial meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Room 137 of the State Capitol to chart its course for the interim. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. The former Education and Local Government Interim Committee was divided into two interim committees by Senate Bill No. 151 during the 2017 Legislative session, so for the first time, a regular interim committee will be devoted solely to education.
Senate members appointed to the committee are Tom Facey, D-Missoula; Edie McClafferty, D-Butte; Dan Salomon, R-Ronan; and Russ Tempel, R-Chester. House members are Fred Anderson, R-Great Falls; Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre; Moffie Funk, D-Helena; and Don Jones, R-Billings.
At this first organizational meeting, the committee will elect its presiding officers, hear from state educational agencies and entities as well as education stakeholders and the public, and discuss its work plan for the interim.
It is anticipated that Legislative Council will assign House Joint Resolution No. 1 to the committee; the resolution requests a study of education funding for students with special needs. Under 20-9-309, MCA, students with special needs include children with disabilities, at-risk students, students with limited English proficiency, children who qualify for accommodations under a 504 plan, and gifted and talented children. The study resolution was drafted by request of the 2015-2016 School Funding Interim Commission. The committee will also discuss how to conduct this study as part of its work plan at the meeting.
The meeting will be live streamed at http://leg.mt.gov and will be broadcast on Television Montana (TVMT.) Please check your local channel listings to find TVMT in your area. For more information about the meeting, including a full agenda, visit the committee’s website or contact Pad McCracken, committee staff.