Facing a nationwide shortage of teachers — and special-education teachers in particular — schools in Montana are feeling it acutely as the number of students receiving special-education services is on the rise.
Statewide there are 18,803 students receiving special-education services. This is a more than 10 percent increase over the past five academic years. In the 2013-14 school year there were 17,032 special-ed students.
Within the region of Flathead, Lincoln, Lake, Sanders, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli counties, the number of students receiving special-education services has increased by 13 percent over the past five academic school years. That percentage represents 4,849 students in 2013-14, up to 5,509 in the 2017-18 school year.