Superintendent of Schools

Home Schooling Information

To file a notice of intent to Home School, please click the first link to your right (or on your phone scroll WAY down for links) “Notification of Intent to Home School”. Complete the form and return it by email: seyer@jeffersoncounty-mt.gov or mail to: Jefferson County Superintendent of Schools | P.O. Box H Boulder, MT 59632. Please check out the other links provided on this site for sample forms, resources, and a wealth of information for Home Educators.

To Home School in Montana, follow these steps

  1. File a notice of intent to homeschool. During every “school fiscal year” (July 1–June 30), you must notify the superintendent of schools of the county where your homeschool is located that your child is being homeschooled.
  2. Keep attendance and immunization records.
    You must keep a record of your child’s attendance at your homeschool. You must also keep a record of your child’s disease immunizations (or a medical or religious exemption from immunizations). You must make these records “available” to the county superintendent on request.
  3. Provide the required hours of instruction.
    Your child must receive at least 720 hours of instruction per school fiscal year in grades 1–3. He or she must receive at least 1,080 hours of instruction per school fiscal year in grades 4–12.
  4. Teach the required subjects.
    Your homeschool must provide an organized course of study that includes instruction in the basic subjects required to be taught in Montana public schools. These include:
    • English Language Arts
    • Mathematics
    • Social Studies
    • Science
    • Health
    • Arts
    • Career and Technical Education
  5. Follow health and safety regulations.Make sure your home complies with all local health and safety regulations applicable to homes.
  6. MCA 20-5- 109(5). Nonpublic School Requirements For Compulsory Enrollment Exemption
    • 20-5-109. Nonpublic school requirements for compulsory enrollment exemption. To qualify its students for exemption from compulsory enrollment under 20-5-102, a nonpublic or home school:
    • (1) shall maintain records on pupil attendance and disease immunization and make the records available to the county superintendent of schools on request;
    • (2) shall provide at least the minimum aggregate hours of pupil instruction in accordance with 20-1-301 and 20-1-302;
    • (3) must be housed in a building that complies with applicable local health and safety regulations;
    • (4) shall provide an organized course of study that includes instruction in the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program pursuant to 20-7-111; and (5) in the case of home schools, shall notify the county superintendent of schools of the county in which the home school is located in each school fiscal year of the student’s attendance at the school.

Traditional public school choice: Ensuring transfers are free for families

 

Open enrollment changes:

A question many Montana families face is whether they can choose a public school other than the one they’re assigned to. A new bill standardizes open enrollment in public schools across the state, making it easier (and guaranteeing it’s free) for families to choose the best public school fit for their child. 

The law, which goes into effect for the 2024-2025 school year, ensures that families won’t be denied the ability to transfer by their home district. The law also requires that a receiving district approve the transfer of a student who applies, unless certain limited circumstances apply. For example, circumstances where a district may still deny a transfer include capacity limitations, or cases where the student was expelled or suspended from another district. 

Plus, the bill clarifies that there are a few situations in which it’s absolutely mandatory for a district to approve a transfer request. This is the case, for example, when the student is under the care of a state agency. It’s also the case if the student lives closer to the preferred school, more than 3 miles away from their school in their resident district, and their resident district does not provide transportation. 

Besides setting clearer rules for transfers and helping families know what to expect, the bill ensures that parents who choose a public school outside their attendance area will not have to pay tuition. This is a game-changer! Previously, some Montana districts would require families to pay tuition for their transfer student. Now, starting in 2024, the child’s home district will be responsible for fees. 

By standardizing transfer rules and ensuring public education is free for families in all cases, the new bill removes barriers for Montana families choosing public school. Note that in most cases, families who choose schools outside of their district must still provide their own transportation — this can be something to discuss with your preferred public school.

Additional changes for public school students:

Besides open enrollment, another change impacting public school students is that the cap on the Innovative Education Program expanded this year. This program, which is funded via tax-incentivized donations, promotes personalized learning opportunities, such as work-based learning, for public school students. (You can see a list of districts that recently received funding from this program on the official state website.)

In yet another significant bill, lawmakers increased the amount of Advanced Opportunities funding that districts can qualify for. This Advanced Opportunities program supports districts statewide in developing STEM and career and technical courses for students in grades 6-12. 

While these are the changes with the most direct impact for public school families, it’s also notable that Montana expanded incentives this year to raise starting public school teacher salaries. 

Public charters: New charter school options authorized in Montana

In another momentous change, in 2023, Montana became the 46th state in the country to pass charter school laws. Charter schools are free public schools. What makes them distinct from traditional public schools is they have extra autonomy to innovate and serve specific community needs. 

Legislators actually passed two different bills authorizing charter school arrangements. One bill, the Community Choice Schools Act, sets up a process where new charter schools can be approved by local charter boards and a state charter commission. (Note that, as of September 2023, aspects of the Community Choice Schools Act are temporarily blocked due to a lawsuit working its way through the court.) The other bill, the Public Charter Schools Act, allows for charter schools to be approved by local school boards. 

Montana does already have one charter school: Bozeman Charter School. This school offers remote learning and practical field trips for students in grades 3-8. While charters weren’t impossible to establish before Montana’s charter laws passed, the laws make it easier and offer more flexibility.

How soon will charter schools under these new arrangements launch and be ready for students in Montana? We’ll have to wait and see. Families may be able to choose a new public charter or “community choice school” within a couple of years. For instance, West Virginia passed a charter school law in 2019. Three years later it had four charter schools, including two statewide online charter schools, open for learning.

Since Montana passed its charter school law, there are only four U.S. states remaining that have no public charter school law: Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Vermont. 

Private school choice: More scholarships, especially for special needs students

Have you chosen one of Montana’s more than 100 private schools? Thanks to recent bills, private school options are expanding in at least three major ways moving forward. 

First, the cap on Montana’s tax credit scholarship program has more than doubled, increasing from $2 million to $5 million. This means that student-scholarship organizations will be able to accept more donations from individuals and businesses. With additional donations, these organizations will be able to distribute a greater number of scholarships to low and middle-income students across the state. More families will be able to participate in the program and scholarship amounts may increase as well. You can learn more about who these scholarships serve and how to apply at ACE Scholarships.

Along with this expansion of Montana’s existing scholarship program, a brand new program is launching for special needs students. Launching in 2024, the Students with Special Needs Opportunity Act allows families of children with disabilities to apply for education savings accounts. Participating families will receive about $6,800 in an online account for their child. Families can use these funds for private school tuition, textbooks, curriculum, tutoring, education therapies, costs attached to classes or services offered by public schools, transportation, or other approved learning expenses. 

“Each child is unique and deserves access to the best education possible to meet his or her individual needs. This is especially true for the more than 18,000 students in Montana who require specialized education services.” – Governor Gianforte

Finally, a third change impacting private school families is that a new bill allows students to enroll part-time in public schools. This offers opportunities for students who attend private school to participate in courses at their local public school!

Online learning: Making it easier to access digital courses

Montana families’ main option for online learning is Montana Digital Academy. Established in 2009, Montana Digital Academy is not a stand-alone school, but partners with districts across the state to offer online courses that supplement local learning. Two new bills signed into law this year expand families’ access to online learning.

One bill expands the scope of Montana Digital Academy, clarifying that the program should provide opportunities for all students who participate in public school across the state, including part-time students. The bill makes additional changes to make it easier for Montana Digital Academy to grow. For example, previously, the academy’s instructors had to have licenses and endorsements in Montana. Now, instructors can be licensed and endorsed elsewhere. As another example, the bill widens the academy’s focus to include more than just core subjects and advanced course offerings. Now, Montana Digital Academy’s mission includes providing online courses “that empower pupils to become community, college, and career ready.” Additionally, this bill requires more detailed reporting from the academy, to better track student progress.

Meanwhile, the other bill clarifies the definition of remote instruction in Montana, and makes it easier for schools offering online classes to offer those classes to out-of-district students. The bill says, “A school of a district providing remote instruction shall provide remote instruction to an out-of-district pupil… unless, because of class size restrictions, the accreditation of the school would be adversely impacted.”

Homeschooling: Part-time enrollment opportunities available

Finally, Montana’s new bill allowing part-time enrollment impacts homeschoolers as well as private schoolers. The bill specifically states, “A child enrolled in a nonpublic or home school may enroll on a part-time basis in a public school.” So, homeschool students will now have an easier time signing up for specific courses at nearby public schools. This will guarantee access to public school options, and empower families to blend home and public learning options.

7 tips for keeping your child safe online

Heed the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning about social media

“We have to now take action to make sure that we are protecting our kids,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy cautioned on NBC News, citing research linking social media to depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, self-harm, insomnia, and bullying. A 2023 advisory report titled “Social Media and Youth Mental Health“, states that social media presents “a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being” of adolescents. Murthy suggests a few strategies to help parents, including:

  • Create a family media plan with rules limiting social media use at home.
    • Establish tech-free zones in your home.
    • Help your children to balance their social life between online interactions and multiple in-person playdates, meet-ups, or hangouts.
    • Give your children a screen time curfew that starts one hour before bedtime and, ideally, keeps their devices out of their bedroom all night to safeguard healthy sleep habits.
    • Keep family meals and gatherings device-free to encourage face-to-face conversation. (Note: this can often be most difficult for the parents.)
    • Set a good example by modeling healthy social media habits, including not spending too much time on social media, prioritizing in-person interactions, and reminding your children that people typically only post the highlights of their week on social media.
    • Tell your children to report cyberbullying, online abuse, or exploitation to you, the school counselor or principal, the online platform, or local law enforcement.
    • Collaborate with other parents to establish similar practices.

The report also urges teaching tweens and teens to protect themselves and others by, for example, blocking unwanted contacts and reaching out for help if they or someone they know is negatively affected by social media in any way.

Related: Read GreatSchools’ Parenting Cue Card “My child looks at media online that I consider inappropriate.”

Teach your children that not everyone online is honest or trustworthy.

Make sure your children understand that people they meet online may not be who they seem. Explain how the nature of the internet makes it easy for people to portray themselves in ways that don’t reflect reality — and why this can be dangerous. A worrisome example is an adult who uses online connections to establish trust with a child as a way of encouraging that child to meet him or her in person. Or a classmate might pretend to be a child’s friend online, only to bully that child later. These are concerning behaviors that your child should be warned about. Remind your child that you are always there to help them figure things out, even if that means logging off for a while till you have time to look into it together.

Tell your child not to disclose information that is too personal.

This includes your child’s name, phone number, and address. Less obvious but equally dangerous information to share includes online passwords, their school name and location, events your child will attend, and times when your child is alone (e.g., walking to and from school). Even photographs your child posts online should not contain personally identifying clues (e.g., the name of the school in the background).

It is especially important to help your children have strategies to protect themselves when they are engaged in fun, lively, and direct interactions with other people online. A child needs to understand that even if they are on a friend’s personal feed or posting to a site intended only for their classmates, other people may still see your child’s information.

Use tech-tools to monitor your child’s online activity.

There are several apps that monitor content on your family devices. Top-ranked is Bark, which offers a phone with parental controls built in or comes as an app you can install on any device. This tech-savvy tool sends you alerts for potential dangers, like cyberbullying and sexual content, plus it filters content, manages screen time, and tracks locations. There are options for monitoring phones, TVs, and even gaming consoles, and you can start with a free 7 day trial. Aura offers similar controls as well as a free family device contract. The Norton Family Premier Parental Control App has great reviews, though the social media monitoring is less robust.

Create clear family rules.

Have a family meeting about internet use. Discuss all the ways you use the internet as a family and make a list of all the sites you each visit regularly. Discuss reasonable time limits and practices. Together as a family, write down the rules for using the computer, social media, and other sites and post them in a visible place. Make sure to discuss online safety and have your children share examples of when they or others felt safe or unsafe online and what happened. As your children grow up and use different sites, add regular-use sites to the list, revise time limits, discuss safety protocols, and update the family rules.

Keep the computer in the family room, kitchen, or living room — not in your child’s bedroom.

If your children know you are observing them — or you could walk by at any time — they may be less tempted to engage in risky or inappropriate behavior online. It also helps your child understand that what they do online may seem private, but it is not: everything posted, shared, and liked online is public.

Find ways for your child to use the computer and phones on your terms.

If you aren’t comfortable with your child using the internet at home when you’re not there, find acceptable alternatives, such as arranging for your child to go online at the school library. Make this part of your family rules and use tech tools to monitor the use of concerning sites.

In all of your online safety discussions, remember to make it clear to your children that you love and trust them. Remind your children that too many people use the internet to cause harm to others, and you are just doing what you can, together, to keep your family safe.

 MONTANA AMERICAN LEGION

 Boys State

 June 16-22, 2024

 MONTANA AMERICAN LEGION

AUXILIARY Girls State

June 16-22, 2024

ClICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORM:

This event is 16-22 June in Helena at Fort Harrison. Boys and Girls is being run at the same time/location.

If there is interest in attending, I would need to know before 1 June.

The Boulder American Legion Post will pay the $300 delegate fee for up to two attendees. The only cost to the attendee would be travel to from Helena and some personal spending money while there.

If there any questions please feel free to call or email: Cory Sena, Adjutant,Post 46 Boulder  amlegmt46@gmail.com   406-594-1400

The State Department webpage for Boys and Girls State is-

 

https://www.mtlegion.org/americanlegionboysstate.html

Current Schools in Jefferson County:

Previous County Superintendents, 1868 to the present:

The Office of County Superintendent of Schools is a part time elected position.
November 1868 Dr. J. B. Mills Elected
November 1870 Joel Taylor Elected
November 1872 WS. Hall Elected
November 1874 John T. Rohrbaugh Elected
November 1876 Henry Dildine Elected
November 1878 Ed Mc Sorley Elected
November 1880 Ed Mc Sorley Elected
November 1882 Alexander J. Elder Elected
November 1884 E. J. Filcher Elected
November 1886 W. E. Dean Elected
November 1890 W. E. Dean Elected
June 1891 Miss Edda Lowrey Appointed
November 1892 Miss Edda Lowrey Elected
November 1894 Nannita MV. Bagley Elected
November 1896 Lillian Carey Elected
November 1898 Lillian Carey Elected
November 1900 Jennie Filcher Elected
November 1902 Alma Kriger Elected
November 1904 Nora Turrentine Elected
November 1906 Nora Turrentine Elected
November 1908 Leta Thompson Elected
Feburary 1910 Sadie Maguire Appointed
November 1910 Sadie Maguire Elected
November 1912 Mabel Haynes Elected
November 1914 Mabel Haynes Elected
November 1916 Jennie Carlson Elected
November 1918 Lilah Halford Elected
November 1920 Lilah Halford Elected
November 1922 Tina Smith Elected
November 1924 Tina Smith Elected
November 1926 Jennie Houghton Elected
November 1928 Jennie Houghton Elected
November 1930 Jennie Houghton Elected
November 1932 Lester McMillan Elected
November 1934 Lester McMillan Elected
November 1936 Frank Lightfoot Elected
November 1938 Frank Lightfoot Elected
November 1940 Frank Lightfoot Elected
November 1942 Frank Lightfoot Elected
September 1944 Margart Dawson Appointed
September 1944 Margart Dawson Appointed
November 1944 Margart Dawson Elected
November 1946 Lydia Carpenter Elected
November 1950 Agnes Mikkelson Elected
November 1954 Zula Kyler Elected
November 1958 Zula Kyler Elected
November 1962 Zula Kyler Elected
November 1966 Zula Kyler Elected
November 1970 Zula Kyler Elected
February 1972 Marjorie G. Mc Masters Appointed
November 1972 John G. Gregory Elected
November 1976 Merce Vosbourgh Elected
November 1980 Merce Vosbourgh Elected
January 1984 Helen Williams Appointed
November 1984 Helen Williams Elected
November 1986 Helen Williams Elected
November 1990 Sandra Streib Elected
November 1994 Garry A. Pace Elected
November 1998 Garry A. Pace Elected
November 2002 Robert Haab Elected
Feburary 2003 Garry A. Pace Appointed
November 2004 Garry A. Pace Elected
November 2006 Garry A. Pace Elected
November 2010 Garry A. Pace Elected
November 2014 Garry A. Pace Elected
November 2017 Anika McCauley Appointed
May 2020 Sarah Eyer Appointed
November 2020 Sarah Eyer Elected
November 2022 Sarah Eyer Elected
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