More state officials are voicing frustration over what they say are misinterpretations of education laws from Montana’s leader of K-12 schools.
The latest criticism leveled against superintendent Elsie Arntzen echoes concerns from state lawmakers that her office is failing to implement new education policies.
That includes the rollout of public charter schools. The Board of Public Education gave the green light for 18 of the schools to open later this year.
But, the Office of Public Instruction said its reading of the law requires the schools to also be approved by county commissioners before they can open.
Board of Public Education chair Tim Tharp said every attorney they’ve consulted has said Arntzen’s office is wrong.
“I find this to be a highly distasteful situation where one constitutional body is forced to request that another constitutional body carry out duties as prescribed,” Tharp said.
The Board of Public Education unanimously instructed Arntzen to change course before a July deadline.
But Arntzen doubled down on her position in a statement released after the vote. She wrote, in part, “we need to roll up our sleeves and focus on lawfully opening these schools, not getting caught in an endless loop of rhetoric.”
Arntzen proposed that the Board of Public Education pass an administrative rule to clarify the law. But, the board’s legal counsel said that wasn’t necessary.
It’s unclear whether the charter schools will meet the law’s July 1 deadline to open if the legal disagreement drags on.
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A group of public education advocates sued the state’s leader of K-12 schools to prevent what they say is “an additional layer of red tape” to the opening of new public charter schools.
