Todd Ziebarth, Senior Vice President of State Support and Advocacy at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, released the following statement:
“Today, HB 562, The Community Choice Schools Act, passed in the Montana State Senate. The bill passed the House earlier this month with a vote of 59-33, and will now head to Governor Gianforte to be signed into law. This is a major victory for Montana families and educators and clears the way for public charter schools to finally be created in the state.
If HB 562 is signed into law, Montana will become the 46th state to allow public charter schools. We urge Governor Gianforte to act in the best interest of families, students, and educators and sign The Community Choice Schools Act. We commend Representative Sue Vinton (R-District 56) for her instrumental leadership in championing this bill.
HB 562 is a necessary step to provide more high-quality public education options in the state. We look forward to continuing to work with partners in the state to make sure that these life-changing opportunities are provided to the students who need them the most.”
Charter schools are public schools that are free and open to all students and are a critical part of the US education system, serving 3.7 million students with 7,700 schools and 220,000 teachers. According to the National Alliance’s Charter School Model Law, HB 562 would be ranked as one of the strongest laws in the nation.
