A Helena law firm says the state isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to provide a quality education. Missoula schools are the first to sign on to a potential lawsuit over the issue.
Missoula County Public Schools trustees voted unanimously to join the proposed lawsuit after a presentation from Helena firm Upper Seven. Superintendent Micah Hill said he sees no downside in being the first district to sign on to the suit.
“I think there’s an opportunity to stand up on behalf of public education in Montana,” Hill told trustees.
The lawsuit isn’t filed yet, but would come at a critical time for Montana’s public schools. Education advocates have argued for years the state isn’t paying enough for schools to recruit and retain teachers, maintain their buildings and provide a quality education.
State lawmakers this year did make new investments in public schools, including a significant pay bump for new teachers.
Republican Rep. David Bedey of Hamilton chairs a committee that’s examining the school funding formula. He argues those investments and the committee’s ongoing work make a potential lawsuit “premature.”
“Well, I’m just disappointed that some have decided that the way to evaluate our school funding formula is to do so in the courts,” Bedey said.
There is a long history of legal disputes over state education funding. The Montana Supreme Court last ruled on the issue in the 2000s, which did change how the state funds education.
Upper Seven founder Rylee Sommers-Flanagan told MTPR the firm intends to file its suit before the end of the year.
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