Governor Says Historic Investments Made in Public Ed and Commits to Continue to Invest in MT Kids

Press Release

Governor Says Historic Investments Made in Public Ed and Commits to Continue to Invest in MT Kids

Governor Brian Schweitzer today said that Montana kids are the ones who lose when taxpayer money is spent on lawsuits rather than in the classroom.

Citing a recent memorandum filed by the plaintiffs, Governor Schweitzer said, "This is an example of taxpayers suing taxpayers and taxpayers paying for lawyers on both sides," said Governor Schweitzer of the lawsuit. "This is money that could be going towards other things like teacher salaries or technology in the classroom."

"We have increased public education funding at historic levels - a 27% increase over the past four years -- and we are not done making investments," Governor Schweitzer added, "but when both sides agree we have a "quality education system" and we are still in court, in my opinion we are wasting taxpayer money."

The actions taken by the 2005 and 2007 legislatures:

• Defined what is meant to have a "quality education"

• Funded quality public education pursuant to statutory definition - targeting money to statutory components of "quality" consistent with "educationally relevant factors"

• Increased funding to quality K-12 public education system over last 4 years by 32% including things such as money for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, Pine Hills and funding for Indian Education for All

• Funding specifically to local public school districts increased by 27%

Source