MCPS High School Expansion and Senate Bill 107 Fail in House, Apostle Relieved

Missoula County School District One Superintendent Alex Apostle breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday, after Senate Bill 107 failed on a 48-52 vote in the House. The bill would have allowed Hellgate Elementary to expand into a high school, and likely would have made a large bond request from the school district a much harder sell.

"Well it really clears the way for us in terms of our bond issue, in terms of what we envision this school district becoming in relation to the bond," Apostle said. "But I really believe it was the rational and logical decision, at least at this point, to not allow 107 to pass."

Apostle believes the bill would have hurt public education.

"In terms of educating our children, I don't think it made any sense whatsoever," Apostle said. "I just feel that the bill would have been detrimental to many, many different people: taxpayers, students, parents. It was not well thought out."

Those in support of Senate Bill 107 argued that the bill gave students and families more choice in education, and that the decision of whether or not to build a high school should be in the hands of local communities rather than the state legislature.