Schreiber’s war against Montana’s public schools

Last week, I introduced Trish Schreiber to the voters of ADLC and, particularly, those who live around Georgetown and vote in precinct 5-76.

Schreiber moved to Montana a few years ago, apparently, to make a name for herself. A Google search of her background in California turned up little which suggests that she was neither accomplished nor newsworthy. But, move to Helmville with a big bankroll at her disposal and she was off to the races to become a “big fish in a little pond.” Unfortunately for Montana’s schools and its thousands of students, Schreiber has undertaken a crusade aimed a compromising the ability of our public schools to provide a quality education for our children particularly, small rural schools.

In her recent editorial entitled “New Property Tax Legislation Burden’s Montana Schools,” California transplant, Schreiber spent 500 words “oozing with concern” for our public schools. Her statements are a smokescreen. The biggest threat to Montana schools is her legislation designed to reduce student enrollment. 

For the past several years, Schreiber has led a crusade against our schools promoting legislation that incentivizes removing students from public schools, causing enrollment declines which reduces the amount of state funding, and increases property taxes.

Her attacks on the schools are indirect and cloaked in misleading rhetoric about providing “educational choice.” We already have educational choice in Montana. Parents are free to send their children to parochial schools, Christian Academies, and to home school their youngsters. We also allow public school districts to establish charter schools.

Schreiber, with her “school choice plan” wants to use public money to pay for unaccountable private schools. She was the author of HB562 in the 2023 session, an act to create a second school system funded at taxpayer expense. I voted against that bill because I believed it was unconstitutional. A state court subsequently ratified my opinion and stopped the legislation from going into effect.

In 2025, Schreiber supported another bill, HB 320, a wildly expensive bill to create tax credits for private schooling. This bill drew bipartisan opposition and for good reason. The bill prevented the program administrator from having a job review for five years, provided tax credits that over 90% of Montana parents could not obtain, and threatened homeschool programs. 

My philosophy is very simple. Taxes are collected from the citizens to promote and protect the general welfare of all citizens, not to provide special benefits to a select few.

The bills Schreiber supported, HB562 andHB320, have several features in common.

First, both bills divert money from public schools. This diversion reduces the amount of funding from the state which puts pressure on local school districts to increase local property taxes.

Second, both bills create educational systems which lack transparency and fiscal accountability providing an invitation for waste and fraud. As a taxpayer, you would have no control over how your tax dollars are spent or what type of curriculum is being taught using our tax dollars under the Schreiber plans.

Third, HB 320 is incredibly unfair to families who send their kids to public schools. Under Schreiber’s plan, a person who incurs expenses for private schooling gets special tax treatment which is NOT available to a person who sends their children to public schools.

All of Schreiber’s public policy plans have three things in common. First, they will increase your local property taxes. Second, they provide special benefits to a select few. Third, there is no accountability.  

Every child in Montana deserves a quality education. Over 90% of Montana students attend public schools. As your legislator, I will fight to ensure your kids can get a quality education while limiting the property tax burden on you. 

State Rep. John Fitzpatrick is a Republican from Anaconda representing HD 76.