State of Montana Newsroom
Governor Gianforte Recognizes School Choice Week in Montana
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today recognized School Choice Week in Montana, celebrating the important role parents play in their children’s education and the wide range of high-quality educational opportunities available to Montana families.
“Parents know their children best, and they should be empowered to choose the educational path that fits their child’s needs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “School Choice Week is an opportunity to recognize Montana’s high-quality schools, home education options, and the dedicated educators who are committed to helping our kids succeed.”
Gov. Gianforte reading to elementary students at a Helena public school in February 2023
According to National School Choice Week, the nationally recognized campaign informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children and to raise awareness of traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, home, and non-traditional learning environments. Each year, tens of thousands of schools and millions of parents and children raise awareness of K–12 education options during this week.
In Montana, Gov. Gianforte has prioritized increasing educational freedom for families as well as recruiting and supporting high-quality teachers. In 2023, the governor signed a pair of bills to authorize public charter schools and community choice schools in Montana and increased the caps of the Big Sky Scholarship Program and the Innovative Education Program from $2 million to $5 million, expanding access to education opportunities for children in low to middle-income families.
To support teachers, the governor in his first week in office introduced the TEACH Act, or Tomorrow’s Educators Are Coming Home Act, to provide incentives to school districts to increase starting teacher pay. In its first year, the TEACH Act helped nearly 500 teachers begin their careers in Montana. In 2023, the governor increased funding for the program by 40% and in 2025 the governor signed into law the STARS Act to invest a historic $100 million to continue the successful program.
Last week, the governor announced Montana opted-in to the new Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program to provide Montanans a tax credit when they donate to nonprofits that provide scholarships to K-12 students to expand education freedom. This federally funded tax credit scholarship program for elementary and secondary education will be effective beginning on January 1, 2027.
Gov. Gianforte this week proclaimed January 25 to January 31, 2026, as School Choice Week in Montana to empower parents and put them first in their children’s education choices. The governor’s proclamation may be viewed here.
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