The Montana Education Interim Committee hosted an open hearing/public comment session on Pre–K on January 16, 2020. Comments included:
- advocating for funding only for accredited Pre-K sites,
- funding only for public school Pre-K using public ed funding formulas,
- funding for mixed delivery Pre-K (i.e. includes delivery by: private organizations, home-based, Head Start, and public school) using braided funding streams,
- including funding for early detection/early intervention as key part of Pre-K,
- insuring equitable funding for underserved populations
The Committee agreed to research Pre-K in rural states with similar funding frameworks, focusing on mixed delivery system with local control by local school boards. The next meeting of the Education Interim Committee is March 19 and 20.