Montanans deserve education choices

School is starting in many parts of Montana as we say goodbye to summer. Sadly, Gov. Steve Bullock didn’t request any funding increases for this year’s special education students in his budget proposal in 2015.

There was, however, a non-partisan bill to allow a Special Needs Education Savings Account for families to use for new educational opportunities for their children. Gov. Bullock vetoed this bipartisan good idea that would have let a parent/guardian make decisions with a portion of their child’s allotted education funds.

Rep. Don Jones, R-Billings introduced House Bill 322 allowing an “education debit card” to pay for some tuition and fees for an alternative, qualified school, instructional materials, tutoring or distance learning. Online courses or other technology-based services could also have been used for the child.

I’m happy to see that the Legislative School Funding Commission is drafting legislation for 2017 to increase public school and co-op special education funding by as much as $6 million, depending on revenues next session. Let’s hope we are not in the negative numbers by the time we get to January.

Parents make critical decisions for their children on a daily basis. We know our children’s learning styles and what makes them ‘tick’. A lot of decisions for educational opportunities should be in partnership with government and parents.

Too bad Gov. Bullock didn’t see it that way. We definitely need a change on the second floor of the “People’s House” in Helena. Allow parents to have a bigger stake in their child’s future.

Dee Brown

Sen. District 2, Coram