Publicly funded preschool is again up for debate in the state Legislature. Gov. Steve Bullock is pushing for more than $20 million to fund optional public pre-k for 4-year-olds. Bullock is also asking for $8 million to pay for preschool for Head Start programs and private providers.
This is the last chance for Bullock to pass one of the top priorities of his administration before he terms out of office in 2020.
Although the two-term Democrat claimed a victory in the 2017 session with $6 million going to a pilot preschool program, Montana remains one of about half a dozen states in the country without an established state-funded program.