The governor’s visit to a Bonner first-grade class started with questions from students and ended with Gianforte quizzing the kids on the founding fathers.
The class’ teacher, Mr. Stevens, later joked that it was a blessing that his first graders didn’t have cell phones. The governor has pushed schools to restrict student use of the devices, and this year is asking lawmakers to give him a million dollars to incentivize districts to do so. Gianforte told MTPR schools could use the money to enforce those rules — buying bags used to seal phones away during the school day, for example.
“We’ve seen there’s better academic outcomes, there’s less distractions,” Gianforte said.
But, a House budget committee this week voted to slash that million-dollar request.
“We’ve got a lot of this already happening, and they’ve been doing it pretty effectively,” Republican Rep. Andrew Nicastro of Billings said during a Legislative budget meeting.
The Montana School Boards Association says roughly 9 in 10 districts in Montana have a full or partial cell phone ban already in place. Bonner School has banned student phone use for a decade, and teachers there say it has improved student focus.
Gianforte told MTPR cell phone bans don’t take much money to implement.
“We respect the Legislature’s role in approving the budget,” Gianforte told MTPR. “We put it in because we think it’s important. I’d encourage them to leave it in.”
Lawmakers will continue reviewing the governor’s education spending priorities, including major legislation to boost pay for new teachers.
