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{{tnr}}{{Terms and definitions bucket disclaimer}}The '''Montana School Boards Association''' (MTSBA) is an organization of school boards in Montana. The association's website says it "provides a comprehensive range of professional services to Montana's public schools."<ref>[https://www.mtsba.org/aboutus ''MTSBA'', "About us," accessed November 9, 2021]</ref>
{{Political organization infobox
|Name = Montana School Boards Association
|Logo = Montana School Boards Association.png
|Location = [[Helena, Montana]]
|Type = [[501(c)(3)]]
|Affiliation =
|Top official = Lance Melton, Executive Director
|Founder(s) =
|Year founded =
|Number of employees =
|Website = https://www.mtsba.org/
}}{{tnr}}
The '''Montana School Boards Association''' (MTSBA) is a [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit organization representing school boards in Montana. Any publicly-elected K-12 school board in the state is eligible for membership.<ref name=about>[https://www.mtsba.org/aboutus ''Montana School Boards Association'', "About Us," accessed September 10, 2025]</ref>


==Background==
As of September 2025, the organization's website said it had been "founded over 95 years ago through the efforts and interests of volunteer elected trustees from throughout the state of Montana." The organization's core functions include advocating at the state and federal levels for policies it believes will enhance student achievement, providing training programs for school board members, and providing insurance policies at a discounted rate to member organizations.<ref name=about/>
As of September 2025, the MTSBA described its mission as "to develop the full potential of each child in every public school through school board leadership."<ref name=about/>
==Leadership==
As of September 2025, the following individuals held positions of leadership at the Montana School Boards Association:<ref name=about/>
*'''Lance Melton''', ''executive director''
*'''Debra Silk''', ''associate executive director and general counsel''
*'''Wendy Brenden''', ''communications manager''
*'''Lauren Carparelli''', ''chief financial officer and director of MTSUIP''
*'''Emily Dean''', ''director of member engagement''
*'''Tony Koenig''', ''director of policy services and senior counsel''
*'''Andy Sever''', ''director of labor relations''
*'''Andrew Vigeland''', ''director of HR and senior counsel''
*'''Shawn Bubb''', ''director of insurance services''
As of September 2025, the following individuals sat on the Montana School Boards Association's board of directors:<ref name=about/>
*'''Krystal Zentner''', ''president''
*'''Rick Cummings''', ''president-elect''
*'''Jennifer Hoffman''', ''vice president''
*'''Sue Corrigan''', ''immediate past president''
*'''Barb Riley'''
*'''Iris Kill Eagle'''
*'''Yancey Beston'''
*'''Stephanie Esch'''
*'''Scott Walter'''
*'''Lei-Anna Bertelsen'''
*'''Tom Billteen'''
*'''Bill Bronson'''
*'''Siobhan Hathhorn'''
*'''Arlene Walker-Andrews'''
==Work and activities==
===Lobbying efforts===
As of September 2025, the MTSBA had five registered lobbyists with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices.<ref>[https://lobbyist-ext.mt.gov/LobbyistRegistration/public/searchRegistry/home ''Montana Commissioner of Political Practices'', "Search Registry," accessed September 10, 2025]</ref>
The Montana School Boards Association identified the following priorities for its 2025 lobbying efforts:<ref>[https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/MTSBA/60c3a2a3-8cdb-4556-814a-e4f7fe736a3c/UploadedImages/MTSBA_2025_Legislative_Platforma.pdf ''Montana School Boards Association'', "2025 Legislative Platform," accessed September 10, 2025]</ref>
{{Quote|
*Support initiatives and proposals that advance the interests of public schools and students as described in our vision and goals;
*Provide adequate and equitable resources and support to meet the needs of special education students;
*Enhance and ensure continued progress of closing the gap to fully fund public education through the updates to the funding formula and support to schools, including but not limited to, inflation application to K-12 BASE Aid and infrastructure support;
*Advocate that all pre-k models proposed ensure the implementation of formula-based early childhood education;
*Expand opportunities to meet the needs of at-risk students;
*Support recruitment and retention of excellent school staff, including but not limited to, certified and classified staff, nurses, mental health professionals, and administrators;
*Ensure the health and safety of students in every Montana school;
*Properly support high quality school conditions and infrastructure;
*Fulfill the constitutional promise of equality of educational opportunity for each child in Montana; and
*Oppose any proposal that diverts limited state general fund revenues to private education while failing to provide the funding support of public education needed to preserve the constitutional rights of each child to access a basic system of free quality schools that fulfills the educational potential of each person.}}
==Notable endorsements==
<APIWidget where='endorser_organization=21804'  template='EndorsementsByEndorser'  />
==Affiliations==
The MTSBA announced in November 2021 that it would leave the [[National School Boards Association]] in June 2022.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/education-montana-school-boards-0408da5068e2bca1d875afce4653ace4 ''AP News'', "Montana School Boards Association leaving national group," November 2, 2021]</ref>
The MTSBA announced in November 2021 that it would leave the [[National School Boards Association]] in June 2022.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/education-montana-school-boards-0408da5068e2bca1d875afce4653ace4 ''AP News'', "Montana School Boards Association leaving national group," November 2, 2021]</ref>


==Government sector lobbying==
== Finances ==
::''See also: [[Montana government sector lobbying]]''
The following is a breakdown of the Montana School Boards Association's revenues and expenses from 2000 to 2024. The information comes from [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810247703 ProPublica].
The Montana School Boards Association has a registered [[lobbyist]] with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices for 2010.<ref>[https://app.mt.gov/cgi-bin/camptrack/lobbysearch/lobbySearch.cgi Commissioner of Political Practices - Lobbyist and Principal Search]</ref>  
<datatable caption="Montana School Boards Association financial data 2000-2024">
! align="left"|Year
! Revenue 
! Expenses
|-
| 2000 || $0.9 million || $0.9 million
|-
| 2001 || $1.1 million || $0.9 million
|-
| 2002 || $1.4 million || $1.3 million
|-
| 2003 || $2.2 million || $2.2 million
|-
| 2004 || $2.4 million || $2.4 million
|-
| 2005 || $2.7 million || $2.6 million
|-
| 2006 || $3.5 million || $2.8 million
|-
| 2007 || $3.0 million || $2.8 million
|-
| 2008 || $3.2 million || $3.0 million
|-
| 2009 || $3.8 million || $3.6 million
|-
| 2010 || $3.6 million || $3.4 million
|-
| 2011 || $3.7 million || $3.6 million
|-
| 2012 || $3.5 million || $3.4 million
|-
| 2013 || $3.8 million || $3.5 million
|-
| 2014 || $4.2 million || $3.8 million
|-
| 2015 || $4.2 million || $4.0 million
|-
| 2016 || $4.4 million || $4.0 million
|-
| 2017 || $4.2 million || $4.0 million
|-
| 2018 || $4.6 million || $4.3 million
|-
| 2019 || $4.7 million || $4.5 million
|-
| 2020 || $4.9 million || $4.7 million
|-
| 2021 || $5.4 million || $4.7 million
|-
| 2022 || $5.4 million || $5.0 million
|-
| 2023 || $5.8 million || $5.4 million
|-
| 2024 || $6.4 million || $5.8 million
</datatable>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[What is an influencer|What is an influencer?]]
*[[Public education in Montana]]
*[[Public education in Montana]]
*[[List of school districts in Montana]]
*[[List of school districts in Montana]]
Line 13: Line 135:


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.mtsba.org/ Montana School Boards Association official website]
* [https://www.mtsba.org/ Montana School Boards Association official website]
*[https://www.facebook.com/montanaschoolboardsassociation/ Montana School Boards Association on Facebook]
*[https://x.com/mtsba Montana School Boards Association on X]


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{Montana}}
{{Influencers HNT}}
{{Influencers HNT}}
{{winf sprout}}
[[Category:Montana influencers]][[Category:Lobbyists]][[Category:501(c)(3)]][[Category:Education policy influencers]]
[[Category:Montana influencers]][[Category:Lobbyists]][[Category:501(c)(3)]][[Category:Education policy influencers]]
[[Category:Active influencers]]
[[Category:Active influencers]]

Latest revision as of 18:01, 10 September 2025

Montana School Boards Association
Montana School Boards Association.png
Basic facts
Location:Helena, Montana
Type:501(c)(3)
Top official:Lance Melton, Executive Director
Website:Official website


The Montana School Boards Association (MTSBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization representing school boards in Montana. Any publicly-elected K-12 school board in the state is eligible for membership.[1]

Background

As of September 2025, the organization's website said it had been "founded over 95 years ago through the efforts and interests of volunteer elected trustees from throughout the state of Montana." The organization's core functions include advocating at the state and federal levels for policies it believes will enhance student achievement, providing training programs for school board members, and providing insurance policies at a discounted rate to member organizations.[1]

As of September 2025, the MTSBA described its mission as "to develop the full potential of each child in every public school through school board leadership."[1]

Leadership

As of September 2025, the following individuals held positions of leadership at the Montana School Boards Association:[1]

  • Lance Melton, executive director
  • Debra Silk, associate executive director and general counsel
  • Wendy Brenden, communications manager
  • Lauren Carparelli, chief financial officer and director of MTSUIP
  • Emily Dean, director of member engagement
  • Tony Koenig, director of policy services and senior counsel
  • Andy Sever, director of labor relations
  • Andrew Vigeland, director of HR and senior counsel
  • Shawn Bubb, director of insurance services

As of September 2025, the following individuals sat on the Montana School Boards Association's board of directors:[1]

  • Krystal Zentner, president
  • Rick Cummings, president-elect
  • Jennifer Hoffman, vice president
  • Sue Corrigan, immediate past president
  • Barb Riley
  • Iris Kill Eagle
  • Yancey Beston
  • Stephanie Esch
  • Scott Walter
  • Lei-Anna Bertelsen
  • Tom Billteen
  • Bill Bronson
  • Siobhan Hathhorn
  • Arlene Walker-Andrews

Work and activities

Lobbying efforts

As of September 2025, the MTSBA had five registered lobbyists with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices.[2]

The Montana School Boards Association identified the following priorities for its 2025 lobbying efforts:[3]

“
  • Support initiatives and proposals that advance the interests of public schools and students as described in our vision and goals;
  • Provide adequate and equitable resources and support to meet the needs of special education students;
  • Enhance and ensure continued progress of closing the gap to fully fund public education through the updates to the funding formula and support to schools, including but not limited to, inflation application to K-12 BASE Aid and infrastructure support;
  • Advocate that all pre-k models proposed ensure the implementation of formula-based early childhood education;
  • Expand opportunities to meet the needs of at-risk students;
  • Support recruitment and retention of excellent school staff, including but not limited to, certified and classified staff, nurses, mental health professionals, and administrators;
  • Ensure the health and safety of students in every Montana school;
  • Properly support high quality school conditions and infrastructure;
  • Fulfill the constitutional promise of equality of educational opportunity for each child in Montana; and
  • Oppose any proposal that diverts limited state general fund revenues to private education while failing to provide the funding support of public education needed to preserve the constitutional rights of each child to access a basic system of free quality schools that fulfills the educational potential of each person.[4]
 ”

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Montana School Boards Association
MeasurePositionOutcome
Montana LR-130, Limit Local Government Authority to Regulate Firearms Measure (2020)  source OpposeApproved

Affiliations

The MTSBA announced in November 2021 that it would leave the National School Boards Association in June 2022.[5]

Finances

The following is a breakdown of the Montana School Boards Association's revenues and expenses from 2000 to 2024. The information comes from ProPublica.

Montana School Boards Association financial data 2000-2024
YearRevenueExpenses
2000$0.9 million$0.9 million
2001$1.1 million$0.9 million
2002$1.4 million$1.3 million
2003$2.2 million$2.2 million
2004$2.4 million$2.4 million
2005$2.7 million$2.6 million
2006$3.5 million$2.8 million
2007$3.0 million$2.8 million
2008$3.2 million$3.0 million
2009$3.8 million$3.6 million
2010$3.6 million$3.4 million
2011$3.7 million$3.6 million
2012$3.5 million$3.4 million
2013$3.8 million$3.5 million
2014$4.2 million$3.8 million
2015$4.2 million$4.0 million
2016$4.4 million$4.0 million
2017$4.2 million$4.0 million
2018$4.6 million$4.3 million
2019$4.7 million$4.5 million
2020$4.9 million$4.7 million
2021$5.4 million$4.7 million
2022$5.4 million$5.0 million
2023$5.8 million$5.4 million
2024$6.4 million$5.8 million

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Montana School Boards Association, "About Us," accessed September 10, 2025
  2. ↑ Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, "Search Registry," accessed September 10, 2025
  3. ↑ Montana School Boards Association, "2025 Legislative Platform," accessed September 10, 2025
  4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ AP News, "Montana School Boards Association leaving national group," November 2, 2021
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