Fiscal Year 2026 State Vo-Ed/ CTE Funding was released on October 31, 2025. The reports will be posted later today on our CTE Funding page found here. We did have to temporarily take the page down to make some corrections. Districts with multiple High Schools and/or Charter Schools were mixed, they have now been correctly separated so that you can correctly allocate those funds accordingly. |
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MCA 20-7-306
The money received by the high school district must be deposited into the sub fund of the miscellaneous programs fund established by 20-9-507 and may be expended only for approved secondary K-12 career and vocational/technical education programs. The expenditure of the money must be reported in the annual trustees' report as required by 20-9-213.
BILLINGS, Mont. — November 3, 2025 — Fifty high school students and thirteen teachers from across Montana participated in the Montana ProStart/FCCLA Culinary Camp, held November 3 at Sysco Montana in Billings.
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The event provided hands-on learning and career exploration for students interested in culinary arts and hospitality careers while giving educators a chance to sharpen their own skills in a professional setting.
Throughout the day, Sysco staff and industry professionals presented sessions on key areas of the culinary and foodservice industries:
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Sysco Warehouse Tour – Justin Brown
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Costing & Creating Menu Items – Jeff Shultz
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Safety & Sanitation in the Workplace – Andy Fulton
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Plating Techniques – Matt Lauer
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Career Development in the Hospitality World – Parker Aldridge
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Knife Skills Demonstration – Chef Nick Steen, Walker’s Grill
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Culinary Tools & Techniques – Greg Beachey, Zwilling/JA Henckels
While students participated in these sessions, teachers took part in the Pork Cookoff Challenge, preparing pork dishes in an environment simulating the ProStart competition. The challenge provided educators with firsthand experience in the competition process while strengthening their instructional and culinary leadership skills. |
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In the afternoon, both teachers and students teamed up for a marketing challenge, designed to strengthen communication, creativity, and business skills that align with the ProStart Management and Marketing Competition.
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An optional networking dinner the evening before the event allowed participants to build connections, with attendees dining at Walker’s Grill and The Montana Club in Billings.
Support from Sysco Montana and the Montana Pork Producers Council was essential to the success of the event.
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Their partnership provided valuable resources, instruction, and mentorship that helped bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry experience.
Participants expressed overwhelmingly positive feedback, noting that the event offered both valuable learning experiences and meaningful career inspiration.
“Opportunities like this allow our students and teachers to gain firsthand insight into the culinary and hospitality industries,” said Tracey Eatherton, State Director of Montana FCCLA. “The hands-on experiences, professional mentorship, and collaboration with industry leaders empower our members to build career-ready skills that last a lifetime.” |
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About Montana FCCLA and ProStart Montana FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and Montana ProStart are statewide programs dedicated to preparing students for leadership, career success, and lifelong learning in family and consumer sciences and hospitality fields. Together, these programs connect education with industry, empowering students to lead in their schools and communities.
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The final allocations were loaded into EGrants for the 2025-2026 Carl Perkins Grant. Please have your budget amendments completed by December 19, 2025. If you need assistance on creating an amendment here is guidance. If you have questions on your budget please reach out to the specialist who covers your school district- that information can be found on our CTE Page here. |
Hey Montana BPA! My name is Shoei Davis, and I’m beyond excited to serve as your 2025–2026 State Vice President! It’s an incredible honor to represent you all, and I can’t wait to work with our amazing State Officer Team to make this year one to remember.
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BPA has become more than just an organization, it’s a community. It’s the place where I’ve made lifelong friends, discovered my passion for leadership, and gained skills that will stick with me for a lifetime. |
Whether this is your first year in BPA or your fourth, there is always something new to experience, learn, and accomplish and I’m thrilled to be on that journey with all of you.
One of the best ways to kick off your BPA year is by diving into the Torch Awards Program. If you’ve never heard of it before, let me tell you, this program is a game-changer. It’s all about recognizing the things you’re already doing as a student leader, both inside and outside of BPA. From volunteering in your community to helping classmates, participating in chapter activities, or even attending BPA meetings, all of those actions can count toward your Torch Award.
The Torch Awards are based on seven categories that reflect the values we strive to live by in BPA: Leadership, Service, Cooperation, Knowledge, Friendship, Love, Hope, Faith, and Citizenship. Remember, these values aren’t just words, they’re the foundation of who we are as members.
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When you log your activities at bpa.org [bpa.org] and work toward earning an award from Executive to Ambassador, you’re not just earning points, you’re building a portfolio of everything you’ve accomplished throughout the year. Last year, I made it a personal goal to earn my Statesman Torch Award and the process helped me stay involved, motivated, and reflective about the impact I was making.
I encourage all of you to set a Torch goal this year too. Whether it’s your first time logging points or you’re aiming for that top tier Ambassador Award, now is the perfect time to get started.
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Trust me, it feels amazing to see your hard work recognized at the State Leadership Conference and even more amazing to look back and realize just how much you’ve grown. So as we step into this new BPA year together, I challenge you to make the most of every opportunity.
Try something new. Take on a leadership role. Get involved in your chapter. Support your teammates, and of course, start tracking those Torch points early! I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together. Let’s bring the energy this year Montana BPA.
By Shoei Davis, BPA Montana State Vice President
Fergus High School
LEAs who have been in good standing with their local application funds for two years prior to the current application year.
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This includes adhering to grant application and reporting deadlines, submitting accurate data reports, appropriate fiscal supporting documents, adherence to all Perkins V and Civil Rights monitoring.
Districts are only eligible for a total of $5,000 in awards, must have completed the Perkins Grant Application for Fiscal year 26 and receive an allocation of less than $15,000.
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Vision for Perkins Reserve Funding:
- Foster innovation through the identification and promotion of promising and proven career and technical education programs, practices, and strategies, which may include programs, practices, and strategies that prepare individuals for nontraditional fields; or
- To create career awareness, recruit students to a CTE Secondary Program of Study or promote the development, implementation, and adoption of programs of study or career pathways aligned with state-identified high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations or industries in the middle grades.
Schools could use the funds to help:
- establish foundational elements for work-based learning
- improve transitions from middle grades into secondary CTE programs of study.
- establish innovative delivery methods for career exploration
- expose students to employability skills earlier
Application
SkillsUSA Montana was proud to be part of the Montana Association of Career and Technical Educators (MACTE) Conference this October! We were beyond excited to network with so many passionate CTE educators from across the state.
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Having the opportunity to connect one-on-one with teachers and showcase what SkillsUSA brings to classrooms was truly empowering.
This year marks an exciting time of growth and progress for SkillsUSA Montana. We’re celebrating several major milestones:
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✅ New Total Participation Plans – Now available for both middle school and high school chapters! These plans offer reduced affiliation fees, making SkillsUSA more accessible to all students and schools across Montana.
🎓 College-Level Affiliation Now Available – We’ve introduced a college campus affiliation plan, opening the door for colleges to incorporate the Pathful work-based learning platform—available exclusively through SkillsUSA. This integration enhances learning opportunities and prepares Montana’s postsecondary students for success in their future careers.
If you have questions about the new participation plans or the Pathful learning experience, please reach out to SkillsUSA Montana State Director, Roberta Tilleman, for more information.
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Looking ahead, we’re gearing up for the Fall Leadership Conference season! This year, we’re thrilled to host over 60 students in Butte, Montana, for a dynamic and engaging event featuring leadership workshops, networking opportunities, and industry tours.
As we focus on our 2025 theme — “Champion Your Future” — SkillsUSA Montana remains committed to empowering students to become skilled, confident leaders ready to take on the workforce of tomorrow.
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Together, we are building the next generation of champions!
November 1 Collection Window Opens- December 31 CTE Fall Data Collection is DUE
This data is utilized to understand how Montana's CTE programs are impacting the participating students by understanding what outcomes those students have after graduating.
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This data is also used for determining funding and in state and federally mandated reporting. Enter data for students identified as Concentrators at the end of the 24-25 school year who are no longer enrolled in school (graduate or dropout).
Perkins Grant Cash Draw Downs should be started districts need to submit requests by 25th of each month for next month’s payments this should be done a minimum of quarterly.
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Perkins Final Allocation Budget Amendments DUE December 19, 2025
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Coming this Spring: Virtual Photonics Training Series
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Keep an eye out for two upcoming virtual training sessions focused on the exciting and fast-growing field of photonics—the science of light and its applications in technologies like lasers, fiber optics, imaging, and communications.
Photonics is an emerging industry in Montana, creating new opportunities for students to connect science, technology, and industry innovation. Each 1.5-hour webinar will feature ready-to-use lesson plans to help educators introduce photonics concepts in their classrooms and will include guest speakers from the photonics industry.
Educators who attend both sessions will earn 5 OPI renewal units. Dates: TBD — stay tuned for registration details!
This upcoming Spring Semester, the Montana Contractors Association is piloting their Build Montana program as a registered pre-apprenticeship. After the program is piloted, it will be available for any high school or organization to offer students and young adults.
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The program: What is Build Montana?
Build Montana is a course created by the Montana Contractors Association (MCA) to introduce high school students to the commercial construction industry including civil construction, vertical construction, construction equipment operation, and construction trades through job site visits, MCA member facility tours, hands-on industry experiences and more.
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Our goal for Build Montana is to educate students on the career opportunities within the commercial construction industry and show students the different pathways you can take to get into those careers.
Build Montana:
- OSHA10
- 85+ hours of industry approved online curriculum.
- Access to Montana Digital Academy Construction CORE (vertical construction)
- Access to John Deere University (diesel mechanics)
- On the Job Training
- Networking with Industry leaders
- Forklift Certification *must be 18+
Along with our partners at the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, we have hosted regional meetings to prepare for the FY 27 Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment for the 2026-2027 Perkins Grant cycle.
The meeting was required for those schools receiving Perkins in 2025-2026 or want to receive in 2026-2027 but all districts with CTE programs were invited. It was great to work with schools across the state in the process of starting their CLNA. Below are the resources provided for the regional meetings.
A few notes to help in this completing the CLNA process:
- Please review past CLNA information to help inform this year's process. You can access your previous CLNAs in EGrants.
- Use advisory committee meeting notes from the past year, use information you can easily find online (like the MT Labor Market Information site), use emails, conversations, and other meetings you have been to over the past year.
The Adult Education Unit at the OPI provides support for non-traditional learners with the Montana Options Program for high schools, high school equivalency for out of school individuals, and Adult Community Education. Have questions? Interested in learning more? Connect with us - complete this brief survey to let us know how we may support you!
Montana Options programs are intended to:
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incorporate the traditional high school curriculum.
provide an alternative pathway for credit-deficient seniors promote college and career readiness activities.
allow at-risk students to graduate on time and obtain a high school diploma.
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Montana High School Equivalency (HSE) exams are:
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designed to measure academic skills compared to a traditional high school graduate.
offered at state approved GED® and HiSET® test
centers.result in a HSE credential equivalent to a high school diploma, if passed.
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Adult Community Education (ACE) programs may assist individuals to:
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improve overall academic skills and prepare for the HSE exam.
explore workforce readiness and training opportunities.
acquire English language proficiency and citizenship.
engage in creative hobbies or enrich health and wellbeing.
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Have questions? Interested in learning more? Connect with us!
Katie Madsen
- High School Equivalency Administrator and Lifelong Learning Director
- katie.madsen@mt.gov
- 406-465-1341
Emily Fuller
- High School Equivalency, Community Outreach, and Lifelong Learning Coordinator
- efuller@mt.gov
- 406-594-3750
The future of career and technical education in Montana is officially set, following a landmark presentation at the Montana ACTE Fall Institute!
Early Adopter Cohort
Montana has been selected as one of just eight states in the Early Adopter Cohort for the new Advanced CTE Career Clusters initiative. This designation solidifies Montana's position as a national leader in modernizing career pathways.
Updated Pathways: Launching 2026-2027
Our team, in a collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE), has successfully established and developed the updated Montana Career Pathways, which will be formally implemented in the 2026-2027 school year.
These pathways were strategically designed to be a trifecta of excellence:
- Student-Centric: Meeting the evolving needs of Montana students.
- Industry-Driven: Directly addressing current and future industry demands across the state.
- Opportunity-Rich: Maximizing the impact of CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) engagement.
Comprehensive Institute Presentation
The Fall Institute served as the official unveiling, providing attendees with a comprehensive resource on: Visit the Resource here!
- The foundational ACTE Career Cluster Framework.
- The specifics of the new Montana Career Pathways.
- The critical Implementation Timeline leading up to the 2026-2027 launch.
Regional breakouts provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to engage directly with the new pathways and prepare for this transformative change.
Next Steps for Stakeholders
For any detailed inquiries regarding the specific new pathways, we encourage you to contact the specialists tied to that pathway area. Your engagement is key to ensuring a seamless and successful transition!
The CTE Specialists have been assigned regionally to schools. The regions are Eastern, Northcentral, Northwest, Southcentral, and Southwest. These assignments will be used to review the 2025- 2026 Perkins Grant application and any remaining 2024-2025 amendments.
If you have any questions or need assistance, our team of specialists is available to support you. Map Key can be found below.
 Map Key
Shannon Boswell (Purple) - Career Technical and Adult Education Director
Gayla Randel- South West (Orange) -Family and Consumer Sciences Specialist
Eric Tilleman - North Central (Green) - Agricultural Education Specialist
Vacant Until Filed - Shannon - South Central (Gray) -Health Science Specialist
Kaitlin Trutzel - North West (Blue) - Industrial Technology Education Specialist
Ethan Igo - Eastern (Magenta) - Business Education Specialist
Montana Colleges & Universities (Gold Stars)
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Below you can find information related to CTE Funding, Montana Career Pathways, Carl Perkins Grant and Data, State CTE Data, Work Based Learning and related topics. If you would like all of this information in one document you can reference that here. |
The information is also split into three different resources for more specific guidance. The linked documents are broken into three different categories; CTE Funding Guidance, CTE Montana Career Pathways, Montana Work Based Learning.
For questions, please contact:
OPI CTE Unit General Questions
Shannon Boswell, Career Technical and Adult Education Director
Eric Tilleman, Agriculture Education Specialist
Open, Health Sciences Education Specialist
Kaitlin Trutzel, Industrial Technology Education Specialist
Ethan Igo, Business Education Specialist
Gayla Randel, Family & Consumer Sciences Education Specialist
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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