House passes Windy Boy charter school proposal

HELENA (AP) — The Montana House has passed a bill to change the rules on charter schools for the state.

The House approved the measure 55-44 Monday. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

The bill by Democratic Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy of Box Elder would allow a school district to request a charter school if 20 percent of voters there petition for one.

Windy Boy and Republican Reps. Jim O’Hara of Fort Benton and Casey Knudsen of Malta voted for the bill. Rep. Jacob Bachmeier D-Havre voted against it.

The schools would not be subject to the state Board of Public Education’s supervision or to accreditation standards. They would be overseen by a new commission.

Supporters include House Speaker Austin Knudsen. The Culbertson Republican said people have choices in just about every facet of their lives except for education.

Opponents say they are concerned by the schools’ lack of accountability to school boards and that they would take money away from public schools.

Montana law now allows a school district to petition the Board of Education to create a charter school, such as the Bridger Alternative Program converted into a charter school by Bozeman Public Schools last year.

Under existing law, the charter schools must meet all state accreditation requirements and be under the supervision of the school district’s publicly elected school board as well as the state Office of Public Instruction and Board of Education

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Havre Daily News staff contributed to this report.