Articles written by Alex Sakariassen
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The money allocated to Montana's new charter schools
Over the past year, we've fielded many reader emails about charter schools in Montana. The curiosity is understandable - one of the two charter school laws passed by the 2023 Legislature is currently...
School leaders attribute budget crises to pandemic funding cliff, state funding frustrations
A wave of major budget cuts is hitting public schools across the state - a situation officials from four of Montana's largest districts attribute to declining enrollment, inflexibilities in the...
Montana's educational leaders gather to review new laws, initiatives
State leaders from across Montana's K-12 and higher education systems convened on the University of Montana campus this week for a discussion on an array of new laws, regulations and initiatives...
How Montana is paying the way in trades education
Gracie Johnson didn't want to be a pilot. At least, not when she first walked into her eighth-grade science class at Billings' Ben Steele Middle School. Her teacher, Patrick Kenney, quickly tapped...
Why Montana college tuition is on the rise
Earlier this month, Montana's Board of Regents approved a series of tuition increases for resident and nonresident students on university system campuses over the next two years. For in-state students...
The state of election integrity in the Montana Legislature
The 2023 session has a long way yet to go, but as of late last week, the special committee tasked with probing election integrity in Montana has all but completed its work. After returning from this month’s transmittal break, the Joint Select C...
Lawmakers deadlock on political practices commissioner
A panel of four state legislators last week reached an impasse over who should become Montana’s next commissioner of political practices. Now, the task of narrowing the field to a single candidate falls squarely on Gov. Greg Gianforte, whose o...
Public schools report second year of enrollment gains
Preliminary enrollment figures released by the Office of Public Instruction Thursday show a slight increase in Montana's K-12 student population this fall - the second consecutive year of gains...
How to vote in Montana's Nov. 8 election
The 2022 general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8, and as absentee ballots have already gone out, odds are that scores of Montanans are already busy filling in their votes. If you're not registered yet,...
How Montana is trying to solve its struggles with teacher pay
Olivia DeJohn laughs as she chalks up having found a classroom she loves so early in her teaching career to serendipity. She teaches second grade at Missoula's Paxson Elementary School, a job she...
Montana Supreme Court says no to Election Day voter registration
Under an order issued Tuesday by the Montana Supreme Court, Election Day voter registration will once again be prohibited in the state. The order overturned a district court injunction from March that blocked portions of four new election...
Gianforte approves changes to Montana election laws
Gov. Greg Gianforte has officially ended the state's long-standing practice of allowing citizens to register to vote on Election Day, a change he said will help preserve the integrity of Montana's...
Two legal cases alter election rules as June 2 primary looms
HELENA — Last month, Montana Free Press added a roundup of pertinent information for primary voters to its 2020 election guide. In the weeks since, a pair of legal cases have necessitated some updates. Here’s what’s happened so far. On May 1, five...
