{"id":251320,"date":"2025-08-19T16:37:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T22:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/?p=251320"},"modified":"2025-08-20T14:58:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T20:58:45","slug":"settlement-mandates-montana-provide-education-to-students-with-disabilities-up-to-age-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2025\/08\/19\/settlement-mandates-montana-provide-education-to-students-with-disabilities-up-to-age-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Settlement mandates Montana provide education to students with disabilities up to age 22"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A federal district court approved a settlement dictating that Montana students with individualized education programs are eligible for public education up to the age of 22.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Aug. 13 settlement between Disability Rights Montana and the state, the Montana Office of Public Instruction must offer students with disabilities access to public education past the age of 18.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case in Hawaii from 2013 established a parallel precedent. Most states maintain a similar policy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Montana federal Judge Dana Christensen approved the settlement, which mandates that the Montana Office of Public Instruction offer re-enrollment to students with individualized education plans who graduated without a diploma in the spring of 2025. The special enrollment period ends 30 days after a family is notified. A student with disabilities currently enrolled in school who planned to graduate without a diploma at 18 is now eligible to continue their education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-251230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-1200x798.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-600x400.jpg?crop=1 600w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-2000x1331.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0042-706x470.jpg 706w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students walk into Great Falls High School on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Great Falls. <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe OPI will continue working with local school districts to ensure that every student exits high school prepared to succeed,\u201d OPI spokesperson McKenna Gregg said in an email to Montana Free Press on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advocates had previously tried a legislative approach. In 2021, <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.montanafreepress.org\/capitol-tracker-2021\/lawmakers\/Fred-Anderson\">Rep. Fred Anderson, R-Great Falls<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.montanafreepress.org\/capitol-tracker-2021\/bills\/hb-233\">passed a bill<\/a> providing extra funding for schools with students ages 18-20 with individual education plans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey need a little extra time. Two years is all we\u2019re asking for,\u201d then-<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.montanafreepress.org\/capitol-tracker-2025\/lawmakers\/Sue-Vinton\/\">Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings<\/a>, said during the House floor debate in 2021. \u201cThese are years spent with their teachers learning how to go to the grocery store, how to behave in public, how to do some life skills.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A limited number of schools adopted the policy. Disability Rights Montana filed the civil suit earlier this year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles  wpnbha ts-2 \"\n\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"245975\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>LATEST STORIES<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"262736\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-montana-insights category-montana-insights type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/03\/03\/75-of-voters-want-montana-to-have-at-least-as-much-federal-land-as-it-does-now\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">75% of voters want Montana to have at least as much federal land as it does now<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Federal land transfer has been a party of the GOP party platform at both the state and national level, but a recent MTFP-Eagleton poll indicates that a majority of Republican voters oppose reducing the amount of land in federal ownership.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"byline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"author-prefix\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/author\/aeggert\/\">Amanda Eggert<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><!-- .author-name -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T14:34:54-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T14:35:02-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"262727\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-westerndev category-politics type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/03\/03\/christi-jacobsen-zinke-western-house\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen joins contest for Zinke\u2019s western U.S. House District seat<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Jacobsen made her announcement on Facebook with a campaign video portraying her as both a political outsider and the favorite of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"byline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"author-prefix\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/author\/tom-lutey\/\">Tom Lutey<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><!-- .author-name -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T12:29:26-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T22:45:03-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"262679\"\n\t\tclass=\"tag-bob-morris tag-data-centers tag-energy tag-greg-gianforte tag-montana-insights tag-northwestern-energy tag-public-service-commission tag-ryan-zinke tag-steve-daines tag-troy-downing tag-u-s-congress tag-unleashing-energy-task-force category-energy category-montana-insights type-post post-has-image\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/03\/03\/montanans-want-more-solar-natural-gas-development-are-less-interested-in-new-coal-plants\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Montanans want more solar, natural gas development, are less interested in new coal plants<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The poll results on Montana\u2019s energy mix come as politicians and policymakers grapple with surging electricity demand spurred by investment in artificial intelligence and the data centers that support it.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"byline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"author-prefix\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/author\/aeggert\/\">Amanda Eggert<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><!-- .author-name -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published updated\" datetime=\"2026-03-03T08:00:00-07:00\">03.03.2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A federal district court approved a settlement dictating that Montana students with individualized education programs are eligible for public education up to the age of 22. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62358,"featured_media":251241,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"everlit_article_id":"","everlit_hide_embed":false,"everlit_embed_size":"","everlit_generation_settings":[],"_everlit_article_id":"","_everlit_hide_embed":false,"_everlit_embed_size":"","_everlit_generation_settings":[],"_everlit_content_hash":"","_everlit_metadata_hash":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-08-19T22:37:53Z","apple_news_api_id":"49a2031d-c853-4f6d-baa4-7cd5e757b3b3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-08-20T20:58:51Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/ASaIDHchTT226pHzV51ezsw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_primary_brand":0,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"behind","newspack_post_subtitle":"Students with individualized education plans who graduated in spring 2025 without a diploma can re-enroll.","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1408],"tags":[35425,324],"post_format":[],"brand":[],"partner":[],"series":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[34869],"class_list":["post-251320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-individualized-education-plans","tag-office-of-public-instruction","entry"],"slp_mobile_featured_image":{"id":251241,"href":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251241","image_path":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250813LM-GreatFallsArchive-0053-scaled.jpg","caption":"A Great Falls High School classroom sits empty Aug. 13, 2025, in Great Falls."},"slp_coauthors":[{"display_name":"Zeke Lloyd","user_nicename":"zlloydmontanafreepress-org","author_link":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/author\/zlloydmontanafreepress-org\/"}],"slp_primary_category":{"id":1408,"name":"Education"},"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<title>Settlement mandates Montana provide education to students with disabilities up to age 22<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Students with individualized education plans who graduated in spring 2025 without a diploma can re-enroll.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2025\/08\/19\/settlement-mandates-montana-provide-education-to-students-with-disabilities-up-to-age-22\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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