Coalition sues education agency for ‘interfering’ with charter school openings

The Montana Quality Education Coalition filed a lawsuit Thursday against state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen and the Office of Public Instruction related to an ongoing dispute over the agency’s implementation of a new public charter school law.

The complaint, filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court, alleges that Arntzen and OPI are “interfering in the opening and operation” of 19 public charter schools approved by the Board of Public Education in February. MQEC, which counts more than 100 public school districts and five statewide education associations among its members, claims the alleged interference delays recognition of those schools and results in “irreparable harm” to public school boards attempting to open them this fall.

Elizabeth Kaleva, an attorney with the Missoula-based Kaleva Law Office who is representing MQEC, described the lawsuit as an “unfortunate but necessary step” in gaining clarity on the process for opening the new charter schools.