Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction race focused on funding

Whoever wins the race for Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction in the general election on Nov. 5 - Republican Susie Hedalen or Democrat Shannon O'Brien - they will inherit an office in disarray. A recent legislative audit of the Office of Public Instruction, which the superintendent leads, found more than $67 million in questionable spending of federal education funds, including one school district that used the money to buy massage chairs for the teachers' lounge.

"OPI is kind of in shambles," said Jessi Bennion, a professor of political science at Montana State University. "They've lost a lot of their career bureaucrats."

Republican Elsie Arntzen is terming out after eight years as Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction. An interim legislative committee found that under her leadership, OPI repeatedly failed to implement education laws designed to help schoolchildren and caused "widespread confusion" in the state's schools. The committee sent Arntzen a letter urging her to fulfill her Constitutional duties. Whoever succeeds Arntzen as superintendent will have to pick up the pieces in an understaffed office and restore public confidence in the state's education department.

Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees K-12 education throughout the state. As head of OPI, they are integral in guiding the office's education policy priorities and maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations. A key responsibility is attending to the needs of schools around the state.

Republican Susie Hedalen and Democrat Shannon O'Brien are running to replace Arntzen.

Hedalen, 40, is the superintendent of the Townsend public schools. She received a bachelor's in elementary education and a master's in educational leadership from Montana State University along with a certificate in Native American studies. Previously, Hedalen taught kindergarten and served as deputy to Superintendent Arntzen at OPI.

Hedalen said as superintendent she would focus on improving outcomes for students, starting at the foundational level. She would like to facilitate tangible certifications like dual college credit programs and trade and apprenticeship opportunities to equip students for the workforce upon graduation.

O'Brien, 55, is a Montana state senator. She received a master of education from Gonzaga University and a doctor of education from the University of Montana. She was the education policy adviser to Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock and was the dean of Missoula College from 2015 to 2017. She has also served on the Montana Board of Public Education and taught in schools across the state.

O'Brien said she was motivated to run for superintendent when she saw pre-K programs facing challenges in the legislature. O'Brien said investing in children from birth to 5 years old - teaching them foundational skills like numbers, letters and crisscross applesauce - has a significant return on investment in terms of developmental issues later.

Central to many Montana voters in electing a new superintendent is the funding of local schools. Montana's school districts are funded by a combination of state and local revenue, along with other non-levy sources. A large portion of school budgets come from local property taxes. This funding model has led to a disparity between schools across the state where wealthier, denser areas have more money available than poorer, rural areas.

"Obviously, if you're in a bigger area in Montana, they can offer more programs for kids, and you can see some inequities already, in programs just based on local taxes," said Rob Watson, director of School Administrators of Montana.

Raising teacher salaries - a key component in teacher retention - is another issue in this race. According to data from the Office of Public Instruction, between 2017 and 2021 the state saw a 25% increase in educator positions that were difficult or unable to be filled.

"We've had teachers with starting salaries of $30,000 a year," O'Brien said, an impossibly low salary for a new teacher leaving college with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.

As a state senator, O'Brien said she's well-versed in education policies at the legislative level, a familiarity that would serve her well as superintendent

"Part of my job will be in the Capitol building, reminding legislators what they value, which is a strong public education," O'Brien said. "I'll be in the legislature supporting public schools, taxpayer dollars going to public schools."

Hedalen, current superintendent of Townsend School District and the Vice-Chair of the Montana Board of Public Education said her priorities center around high-quality professional development in providing educators the tools to increase scores in reading and math at the foundational levels. She hopes to make teaching a more attractive career opportunity in Montana.

"We do need to make some shifts, and there are a lot of great conversations about how we're going to be able to increase teacher salaries at the entry level, which is critical," Hedalen said.

Raising teacher salaries, ensuring equitable educational programming and promoting early childhood literacy will all require adequate funding. Where that money will come from, if not from property taxes, is part of the superintendent's job.

For the first time in a decade, Montana is about to completely overhaul the school funding formula. It's a complicated calculation, which relies on the Average Number Belonging to determine funding based on attendance and enrollment, and a variety of other factors like grade level needs and Guaranteed Tax Base.

"While the superintendent does not have any direct responsibility over that, they definitely need to be part of that discussion," said Watson, of the School Administrators of Montana, "because that is a big piece of what is happening in K-12 education in Montana right now."