In 2015, Republicans in the Legislature shot down Gov. Steve Bullock’s $37 million preschool proposal for what they called [quote] “budget-driven” reasons.  But the tenacious governor is renewing his preschool pitch with a lower price tag than 2015’s budget proposal.  Somehow, you know the $12 million asking price is likely to face legislative opposition again.
Eric Moore, a Republican state senator from Miles City and the vice-chair of the education appropriations subcommittee, said he expected any new education spending to focus on school infrastructure, saying superintendents are more concerned about roofs and boilers than putting new programs into place.  Montana is one of eight states that don’t offer any state funding for public preschools.  Several school districts, like Hardin, have pieced together their own preschool program using money from a $40 million federal grant, districts launch their own programs with aid awarded for having the Crow Reservation within district boundaries.

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