Montana Board of Public Education
Montana Board of Public Education
Who governs statewide public education and what the reviewed record shows
A constitutional statewide education board
The Montana Board of Public Education exercises general supervision over the public school system and other educational institutions assigned by law. It is separate from the Office of Public Instruction, which administers state education programs and provides agency reports to the Board.
Statewide constitutional authority
The Board oversees statewide public education responsibilities including accreditation, educator licensing, academic standards and related rulemaking. It is not a local school district board.
Appointed voting seats
Seven voting members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate for staggered seven-year terms. Board seats are not chosen by a statewide public ballot.
Nonvoting ex-officio members
The Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Commissioner of Higher Education serve as nonvoting ex-officio members.
Committees
The March 2026 assignment list names seven standing committees and an Artificial Intelligence and Technology special committee. Assignments are dated and may change.
Student representative roster gap
The roster page lists Lydia Comstock with a term ending July 1, 2026; the July 23 minutes later document her participation. The current appointment term or successor was not verified, so current student-seat status is unresolved.
What the reviewed records establish
Major projects
Artificial Intelligence in Education Resolution
Adopted January 15, 2026; advisory guidance rather than a binding statewide AI policyThe Board’s resolution recognizes OPI’s AI Guidelines, encourages districts to use them when developing local policies, says AI should enhance rather than replace educator judgment, and requests annual OPI reporting. The reviewed record does not identify a project-specific appropriation.
- Board unanimously approved the AI in Education Resolution.
Funding
No project-specific appropriation identified in the reviewed Board records.
Statewide MAST assessment modifications
Conditionally approved June 22, 2026; July planning and member-selection update reported; actual convening and implementation unverifiedThe Board conditionally approved the Superintendent’s recommended math and English-language-arts assessment modifications. The condition calls for OPI, in consultation with the Board, to convene a task force on instructional usefulness, score reporting, testing burden and feedback, professional development, and educator trust. July 24 minutes record an OPI presentation on deliverables and timeframe, member selection, and a facilitator to be hired. The reviewed record does not establish actual task-force convening or implementation.
- Board unanimously approved the recommendations subject to the stated task-force condition.
- Minutes record OPI’s update on planned task-force deliverables, timeframe, member selection and facilitator hiring; convening and implementation remain unverified.
Funding
The reviewed minutes do not identify a project-specific appropriation.
Recent news
This page uses the Board’s official authority, roster, committee assignments, rulemaking and resolution indexes, meeting agendas and official minutes. Caption-only descriptions are clearly identified as such. Applicant, agency and public-comment statements are attributed to their sources rather than treated as independent findings.
Get alerts for Montana Board of Public Education
We read every agenda, packet, recording, and set of minutes, and write up the decisions that affect families — each one linked to the document it came from.
Copy the RSS link into your feed reader to get new published alerts.