Board of Public Education

MONTANA BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

State Capitol

Board of Public Education

The Board of Public Education has a mission statement as directed by Article X, Section 9 of the Montana Constitution that states, "There is a board of public education to exercise general supervision over the public school system and such other public educational institutions as may be assigned by law". The Board of Public Education was established to supervise, serve, maintain, and strengthen Montana's system of free quality public elementary and secondary schools.

The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to staggered seven-year terms. By statute, the Governor must appoint no more than four members from one of the two commission districts and no more than four members from the same political party. Current Board members are:

Madalyn Quinlan, Chair, Helena

Susie Hedalen, Vice Chair, Townsend

Ron Slinger, Miles City

Anne Keith, Bozeman

Jane Lee Hamman, Clancy

Dr. Tim Tharp, Savage

Renee Rasmussen, Clancy

Gavin Mow, Student Representative, Helena

In addition to the constitutional mandate to exercise general supervision of Montana public schools, the Board is assigned specific powers and duties by the Montana Legislature in 20-2-121, MCA.

The Board has worked with the Education Interim Committee and Education Interim Budget Committee to produce the following reports and budget relevant to the 2023 Legislative Session:

BPE Budget

BPE Goals and Objectives

BPE Budget Historical Overview and LFD Budget Analysis

Other relevant Board roles and responsibilities

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