Lawmakers Discuss Education Funding

On Wednesday, legislators met with the state’s top education officials, including Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, along with the President of Stillwater Mine to discuss the state’s education budget.

During her presentation, Superintendent Juneau made the case that our K-12 public schools are run efficiently and effectively. She emphasized that less than 2% of the agencies budget goes to administrative costs.

Juneau also highlighted her top initiative, “Graduation Matters Montana.” This initiative would seek to raise high school graduation rates and ensure that students are better prepared for jobs or college after leaving high school. Her plan has received bipartisan support in the legislature.

Frank McAllister, president of Stillwater Mining company was also in attendance, and said, “I’m here to make the business case for education.” McAllister emphasized the importance of having a high-trained, well-educated workforce in order to fill jobs. He was also quick to state that the money spent on education is one of the strongest boosts to the state’s economy.