The goal of SB107 is to allow 3 elementary-only school districts in Montana to educate their own high school students. In the Billings area, the Lockwood school district would be able to ask their voters to build a high school. If successful, then Lockwood students would leave Billings Public Schools (School District 2).
I have two children in Billings Public schools. One is in elementary school and one is in middle school. So SB107 interests me and impacts the education of my children.What may surprise you is that I support this bill. Billings Public Schools has a bad habit of not listening to parents with academic concerns. While SB107 might raise my property taxes a bit, this bill will send a message to the school board and leadership that it is a mistake to ignore the concerns of parents.
Students that finish middle school in Lockwood are further ahead educationally than students taught in Billings Public Schools. When Lockwood students get into BPS high schools, their education is dragged down by Billings students. There are fewer opportunities to get involved in sports, like basketball. Finally, there is a huge expense in busing Lockwood students to Senior or Skyview.
The benefit for me is that SB107 may finally get BPS to work on improving academics. Making BPS smaller will require them to listen to parents to stop the exodus. State High School funding will increase on a per student basis for BOTH Lockwood and Billings students. More space in the high schools might allow BPS to put career centers in every high school, instead of busing students to the far west end of Billings. BPS would lose property taxes from Exxon, so taxpayers in Billings will have to make that up. $10 a year or less?
The sad thing is that BPS is actively fighting SB107. They are in denial as to why parts of the Billings community wants to get their kids out of BPS. If this bill becomes law, then they will have to finally address realities that many parents realized long ago.
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