THURSDAY,
October 16, 2025
7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Registration - Great Northern Hotel Conference Center
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9:00 - 11:30 am - Awards and Keynote Speaker Ron Clark - Great Northern Hotel
This opening keynote is sponsored by Audio Enhancement
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11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch on your own
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11:30 am - 12:30 pm
IISM Meeting - MTSBA #1
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Noon - 12:45 pm
ISBC Board Meeting - Great Northern Hotel Iron Horse Room
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1:00 - 1:50 pm - Breakout Sessions #1 will be held at the Great Northern Hotel and MTSBA Headquarters
Trustee-to-Trustee: Sparking Creativity, Curiosity, and Connection (Part 1)
Presenters: TBD
The Montana School Boards Association’s mission is clear: Developing the full potential of each child in every public school through school board leadership. This year’s conference theme, Nurturing Creativity and Curiosity, is just as important for trustees as it is for the students we serve.
This highly interactive session, facilitated by trustees for trustees, creates space for open, peer-to-peer conversation.
Together, we will:
- Share innovative ideas and creative approaches to school board governance
- Ask thought-provoking questions that inspire curiosity and fresh perspectives
- Explore new ways to engage our communities and support student success
- Build connections with fellow trustees from across Montana for ongoing collaboration
Bring your questions, your experiences, and your willingness to think outside the box. This is your opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom of trustees statewide and leave with fresh ideas to take back to your district.”
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Implementing Key Legislation in the School Business Office
Presenters: Shelley Turner, Shay Baize, and Melissa Bartelt
The 2025 Montana Legislature passed several significant bills reshaping K-12 funding, staffing, and compliance. This session will highlight major changes—including the STARS Act, Multidistrict Agreements, Countywide Base Levies, and more. Join us in a discussion on how we navigate and implement procedures to ensure compliance with new Montana Laws.
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The School Accreditation Process: What you need to know!
Presenter: Nichole Pieper
This information session will provide an overview of Montana’s school accreditation standards, including why accreditation exists and its importance in ensuring quality education across the state. Participants will learn about the role of the Accreditation Think Tank over the past three years and how their work has shaped the current revisions to the standards. The session will also outline what the ongoing revision process looks like, what changes schools can expect in the future, and provide attendees with a clear, general timeline for completing each standard moving forward
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Platinum Sponsor Session - Discovery Education
Connect Your Classroom to Real Experts with Real Stories, in Real-Time
Presenter: Allison Nys
Did you know that 31% of students are not sure they are on the right career path! Do you want to bring a variety of skills and people into your districts, schools and classrooms? Do you want to help break down barriers with budgets and geography that often come with rural schools, to bring these people into your classroom? Career Connect by Discovery Education is your solution! This session will guide you through how a teacher can bring the world into their classroom by using Discovery Education's Career Connect! This turnkey platform connects classrooms to careers, allowing teachers to browse companies and specific careers bringing these collaborative partnerships to their classrooms by setting up virtual sessions. Every industry requires diverse people, skills, and specialties to operate! Why not let Discovery Education and Career Connect help you bring the world to your students in your district?
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Underwriter Session - ISBC
Overview of U.S. Federal Policies and How They Have Historically Impacted Indigenous Communities of North America
Presenter: Deserae Kill Eagle
Despite governmental assimilative tactics, tribal nations still possess innate protective factors such as cultural resiliency to overcome historical loss symptoms of poverty, violence, discrimination, and oppression. This session will help create a sense of community by viewing the current assets of tribal nations as tools to overcome historical loss and contribute to sustainable solutions for future generations. The historical awareness this session provides will help educators understand the perspective and necessity of IEFA.
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Platinum Sponsor Session - DA Davidson
Capital Improvement Projects Transforming Your School & Community - Nurturing Creativity & Curiosity
Presenters: Andrew Fors, Superintendent, Polson Schools
Staci Auck, Business Manager, Hobson Schools
Bridget Ekstrom & Crystal Vogl, D.A. Davidson
Dan Semmens & Courtney Ellis, Dorsey & Whitney
Join us to hear the keys to prepare for the future by: (1) putting together a capital improvement plan for the district, (2) communicating with the community in passing the bonds at a bond election, (3) issuing bonds with favorable financing terms, and (4) designing, constructing and managing the construction projects. Despite tax impact challenges, some Montana School Districts have experienced good luck passing school bonds to complete school building projects. As schools look to innovative capital improvement projects, this MCEL session will provide an interactive format with D.A. Davidson, Dorsey & Whitney, and Polson Schools and Hobson Schools. We will discuss Legislative changes to lower taxpayer burden.
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2:10 - 3:00 pm - Breakout Sessions #2
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Focus Group: MTSBA Member School District Engagement
Emily Dean, MTSBA Member Engagement Director, Wendy Brenden MTSBA Communications Manager
As we near our 100th year, the Montana School Boards Association (MTSBA) wants your feedback to help us better understand your needs and improve the programs, services, and communication we provide. Over the coming months, MTSBA will launch an Engagement Evaluation and Improvement Initiative. This session is one of the first steps in that Engagement Evaluation. This will be a facilitated focus group to engage in a collaborative dialogue aimed at enhancing MTSBA’s engagement strategies and provide more meaningful services and materials to you. Your input and perspectives will assist the MTSBA in shaping our strategies to boost member engagement and improve our programs and services to better meet your needs. Through this interactive discussion and targeted brainstorming session, we will explore challenges and opportunities for improvement while identifying actionable strategies that will help MTSBA better support you. Your insights are essential in helping us identify what services and opportunities we can improve, eliminate, or create for our members.
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AI Made Easy: 5 Simple Hacks to Work Smarter (Not Harder)
Presenters: Shelley Turner, Executive Director, MASBO
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant concept—it’s a tool all school leaders can use today to save time, improve communication, and support decision-making. In this session, we’ll explore five simple, practical AI applications tailored for school leadership, from drafting clearer messages to summarizing complex reports. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to integrate AI responsibly and effectively into their daily work—without the jargon.
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Understanding Multi-District Agreements
Presenter: Rich Batterman
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Big Sky Leadership: Opportunities for Women Educational Leaders in Montana
Presenter: Dr. Erica Allen, University of Montana, Educational Leadership Department
Women make up the majority of the public school workforce, and research shows that female leadership within this workforce. Women’s leadership styles often align with transformational models that emphasize collaboration, empowerment, and innovation, making their voices essential to school improvement. In Montana and across the Mountain West, initiatives such as the Women’s Leadership Cohort at the University of Montana, taught by accomplished Montana female educational leaders, and Women Leading the West, a collaborative network that celebrates the voices and vision of women leading with courage, innovation, and impact, are fostering mentorship, professional growth, and supportive communities for women leaders. This session will highlight why women’s leadership matters and explore how female networks of support are shaping the future of public education.
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Underwriter Sponsor Session - MSGIA
Navigating the confluence of school district operations and policy with workers' compensation claims and risk management strategies.
Presenter: Shawn Bubb, Director of Insurance Services (MSGIA) will moderate panel
Join us for an insightful conversation with school district personnel and MSGIA staff on how school district operations and policies intersect with the nuances of workers' compensation claims and risk management strategies. We will be covering frequent topic areas and some interesting new scenarios that have popped up on Montana school campuses the last few years. Shawn Bubb, Director of Insurance Services for MSGIA will be our panel moderator as you get a head start on many of the tough questions that surely will be coming your way soon.
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Platinum Sponsor Session - ClassLink
Unlocking Student Potential: Curiosity, Creativity, and the Power of Access
Presenter: Michelle Massey
What if technology empowered learning instead of complicating it? In this session, attendees will explore how simplifying access and strengthening digital ecosystems helps teachers and students spend less time on logins and account issues and more time sparking curiosity, creativity, and deeper learning.
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