Author: Press Room

City Reviews Annexation

25 October 2021
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The City Annexation Committee is preparing for its annual review of the City’s Annexation Policy and Limits of Annexation Map. This process occurs annually in coordination with the City’s review of its Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The Annexation Map and Policy review process this year will run from November 2021 through approximately April 2022.

More information on the latest CIP schedule will soon be available at https:// www.ci.billings. mt.us /2662/ Capital- Improvement-Plan-CIP.

The Annexation Committee includes representation from City Administration, Fire, Police, Parks, Planning, Airport and Transit. The Committee makes recommendations to the City Council on amendments to the City’s Limits of Annexation Map, which may be viewed on-line along with the Annexation Policy. The Map was last amended in August 2021 by the City Council.

The Committee reviews requests from property owners to amend the City’s Limits of Annexation Map.

 The deadline for map amendment requests from property owners is November 19, 2021. There is a fee of $817.00 associated with Map Amendment Requests

Businesses Respond to Market Disruptions on Many Fronts

25 October 2021
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Supply chain disruptions are impacting half of all small businesses and they are getting worse. Most employers are not mandating vaccination, and about a fourth of small businesses are exceeding pre-crisis sales levels.

The NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) Research Center released its latest COVID-19 survey on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected small businesses.

“Supply chain disruptions and the staffing shortage have become substantial issues for small businesses across the country,” said Holly Wade, Executive Director of NFIB’s Research Center. “Small employers are making business operation and hiring adjustments in order to compensate for both issues.”

This is the 19th survey in the series and includes updates on supply chain disruptions, staffing shortages, sales levels, and more. The survey was conducted from September 1-6, 2021, with 586 responses collected.

Key findings include:

Supply Chain Disruptions

* Half of small business owners reported that supply chain disruptions have a significant impact on their business, up from 32% two months ago.

* Over half (55%) of owners impacted report that the supply chain disruption is worse than it was three months ago.

* The vast majority (86%) of owners anticipate supply chain disruptions will continue for at least the next five months or more.

Staffing Shortages

* Over one-quarter (27%) of small employers are currently experiencing a significant staffing shortage and another 18% are currently experiencing a moderate staffing shortage.

* Of those small employers currently experiencing a staffing shortage, 25% are experiencing a significant loss of sales opportunities and 27% a moderate loss of sales opportunities because of their inability to fill open positions.

* About half (49%) of small employers are receiving fewer job applications for their open positions than they received one month ago, and 36% are receiving about the same amount.

* Small employers are adjusting to attract employees for open positions. Seventy-seven percent reported increasing wages, 17% increased paid time off, 16% offered or enhanced hiring bonuses, 18% offered or enhanced referral bonuses, and another 21% offered or enhanced health insurance benefits.

* Small business owners are also making business operation adjustments to compensate for the staffing shortage. Forty-one percent of owners are offering more hours to part-time employees, 64% are offering overtime to full-time employees, and virtually all (88%) of owners reported that the owner(s) are working more hours.

Sales Levels

* Sales levels are 50% or less than they were pre-crisis for 15% of small businesses with another 18% at sales levels of 51%-75% pre-crisis levels.

* Forty-one percent of owners are back or nearly back to where they were with sales between 76%-100% of pre-crisis levels. About one-in-four (26%) are exceeding pre-crisis sales levels.

The Economy

* Twenty-one percent of owners report that economic conditions are back to normal now in their area. Another 6% of owners anticipate it taking until the second half of 2021 and 23% anticipate sometime in the first half of 2022 before economic conditions return to pre-crisis levels.

Vaccinations and Face Coverings

* About one-quarter (26%) of owners are asking employees if they are vaccinated, up from 19% two months ago.

* When asked about mandating employee vaccination, 83% of small employers have no requirement or have not considered requiring employee vaccination. Fourteen percent of owners have considered mandating vaccination and 3% require employee vaccination.

* Twenty-five percent of owners reported requiring employees and/or customers to wear a face covering. Of those businesses requiring face coverings, 27% found it difficult to enforce the face covering requirement.

Childcare

* Eight percent of small employers reported that childcare challenges are significant issues and 12% reported them as moderate issues.

* Since the onset of COVID-19, 29% of small employers have had employees quit or reduce their hours due to childcare challenges. Additionally, 18% of small employers have had difficulty hiring applicants for open positions specifically due to childcare challenges.

Utilization of COVID-19 Programs

* About three-quarters (76%) of small business owners reported that they received a Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020 and the vast majority of them (94%) have submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application for their 2020 loan.

* Forty-one percent of those who received a first-draw PPP loan received a second-draw PPP loan.

* Ten percent of owners claimed the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) for wages in 2020. Only 8% of owners claimed the ERTC for wages in 2021.

* A fifth of small employers applied for and received an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

Other

* Almost half (45%) of small business owners report that the recent rise in COVID-19 cases over the past two months has had a large (9%) or moderate (36%) impact on their business.

* About a quarter (28%) of owners report that tariffs on Chinese products have a somewhat negative impact and 10% a significant negative impact on their business. Over half (54%) of owners report that the tariffs have no impact on their business.

* Thirty-one percent of owners had a fraudulent unemployment insurance claim filed against their business.

Billings Building Permits – October 15, 2021

25 October 2021
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Commercial

City Of Billings The/SP Services, 600 W Wicks Ln, Com Fence/Roof/Siding,  $21,600 

City Of Billings The/ SP Services 600 W Wicks Ln, Com Fence/Roof/Siding,  $7,000  

Market Place West Partners  LLC/Summit Roofing Inc, 2829 King Ave W, Com Fence/Roof/Siding $201,210

Morledge, Karl/Robert Nelson Construction, 2702 Minnesota Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $6,850

Morgan, Michael A/Neal Sivertson, 421 Milton Rd, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $12,000

Morgan, Michael A/Neal Sivertson, 900 Rex Ln, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $12,000

Morgan, Michael A/Neal Sivertson, 912 Rex Ln, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $12,000

Morgan, Michael A/Neal Sivertson, 926 Rex Ln, Com Fence/Roof/Siding,  $12,000

Rocky Mountain Bank/Sprague Construction Roofing Division Roofing, 2615 King Ave W, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $65,000

Crown Enterprises Inc/Fisher Construction, Inc., 6200 S Frontage Rd, Com New Industrial/Factory/Plant,  $3,750,000

1400 S 24th LLC/T.W. Clark Construction LLC, 1420 S 24th St W, Com New Office/Bank,  $1,800,000

Crown Enterprises Inc/Fisher Construction, Inc., 6200 S Frontage Rd, Com New Other, $5,000,000

Freshwater Properties LLC/Beartooth Holding & Construction,  525 Henry Chapple St, Com Remodel, $400,000

Wal-Mart Real Estate/Business Johnson Controls Security Solutions LLC, 2525 King Ave W, Com Remodel, $121,000

Stuart, Scott A & Tamera K Ell/Lynnrich Inc., 429 Kathy Ln, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $18,000

Cornerstone Investment  Enterprise/Casey Smith Construction, 225 N 23rd St, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $4,200   

BiLLCo Investment LLCT/Innes Construction Co Inc, 2020 Overland Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding,  $120,000 

Billings Us Employees Federal/A-Team Contracting TPO, 2522 4th Ave N, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $2,000 

Seder, Ron/Seder’s Appliance Htg & Clg, 1515 Central Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $25,000    

Plath, R Russell & Susan L/Hi-Line Roofing Of Montana LLC, 2624 Minnesota Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $10,000      

City Of Billings, Terry Park, 526 Terry Ave, Com New Other, $23,000

HS Management LLC/Big Sky Exterior Designs, Inc,  575 Lincoln Ln, Com New Warehouse/ Storage,  $950,000

HS Management LLC/Big Sky Exterior Designs, Inc, 575 Lincoln Ln, Com New Warehouse/Storage, $0.00

Brad Barker/Snowy River Construction/Lawncare, 212 N 29th St, Com Remodel, $46,800

Executive Property Services/Bauer Construction, 1350 Avenue C, Com Remodel, $160,000

Lavanya Kumar Sunkara/Yoga Friends Association, 300 N 25th St, Com Remodel, $4,400

Halsten Holdings LLC/T.W. Clark Construction LLC, 2712 Minnesota Ave, Com Remodel, $30,000

Prichard, Fred J & Jay G/Magic City Construction LLC, 1224 Broadwater Ave, Com Remodel, $4,200

Residential

Infinity Homes/Infinity Home LLC, 2210 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $228,806

Infinity Home/Infinity Home LLC, 7009 Copper View Way, Res New Single Family, $293,667

Harold Larson/Green Jeans LLC, 1395 Watson Peak Rd, Res New Single Family, $234,210

Formation Inc/Formation Inc, 4691 Sky Vista Ct, Res New Single Family, $309,908

Dempsey/Doane/Yellowstone Property Solutions LLC, 2509 Buffalo Ridge Trl, Res New Single Family, $354,933

McCall Development/McCall Development, 6132 Johanns Meadow Ln, Res New Single Family, $286,778

Copper Ridge West Inc/Infinity Home LLC, 3119 70th St W, Res New Single Family, $233,290

Diverse Construction/Diverse Construction LLC, 2244 Gleneagles Blvd, Res New Single Family, $219,780

Buscher Construction Ltd/Buscher Construction Ltd/3133 Falcon Cir, Res New Single Family, $300,000

Kugler, Amy & Corey C/Kugler, 86 Mountain View Blvd, Res New Single Family, $53,100

Moats, Janel/Griffin Construction, 5425 Merlot Ln, Res New Single Family, $573,155

Jeff Kreitzberg Homes Inc/Jeff Kreitzberg Homes, 2229 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $226,359

Patterson/Kings Mountain Builders Inc, 3272 McMasters Rd, Res New Single Family, $650,000

Design Builders, Inc/Design Builders, Inc, 2510 Blue Mountain Trl, Res New Single Family, $278,706.00

McCall Development /McCall Development, 6152 Johanns Meadow Ln, Res New Single Family, $187,837

Magnus Land Development LLC/Brown Builders Inc, 6309 Beckville Ln, Res New Two Family, $300,000

Magnus Land Development LLC/Brown Builders Inc, 6313 Beckville Ln, Res New Two Family, $300,000

Billings Gazette Puts Building Up for Sale

7 October 2021
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The Billings Gazette announced last week that their headquarters building in downtown Billings is for sale. The 94,000-square-foot building at 401 N. Broadway has become something of a highly visible icon in the community since it was built in 1967.

“This decision is being made simply because the building is too large for our current needs,” said , President and Publisher Dave Worstell. “Financially, the Billings Gazette is in good shape. We are very optimistic about our future as the preeminent news provider in the city, region and state, and a partner in helping local businesses connect with customers through our digital and print marketing products.”

The building has been listed with local real estate company Berkshire Hathaway Commercial Services for $7.865 million.

The building was designed by architects Drake, Gustafson and Associates for the Billings Gazette, Montana’s largest daily newspaper, publishing for the past 136 years. The company expanded the building in 2007. The property has 120 parking spaces on the surrounding lot

According to Worstell, “The sale of the building, when it happens, will not affect the news and advertising operations of the Billings Gazette. At some point, the sale will change our local printing and production operation, and this will have an impact on that staff.”

He said the Gazette has been “approached multiple times over the last year from interested potential buyers. Because our building is underutilized and offers more space than we currently need, we felt like the time was right to explore a sale.” He said that “when the time is right to move locations, we will look for a new downtown Billings location that is the correct size for our operations and has convenient access for our customers.”

First published in 1885, The Billings Gazette is one of several newspapers in the state owned by Lee Enterprises. It is the largest daily newspaper in Montana but as has been the case with most of print media in the nation, circulation has been on the decline with the advancement of digit communications. The newspaper’s current circulation is about 11,000 compared to a 2005 circulation report of over 46,000.

Billings Building Permits 10-01-21

7 October 2021
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Commercial

Baucke, Kathleen/Sprague Construction Roofing Division, 1341 Avenue D, Com Fence/Roof/Siding,  $11,600

HS Management LLC, 575 Lincoln Ln, Com Footing/Foundation, $190,000

Aviation Properties LLC/EEC Inc, 3485 A J Way, Com New Other $1,806,647

AT&T, 2851 King Ave W, Com Remodel,  $10,000

SFH LLC/Wyman Construction, 1509 Main St, Com Remodel, $30,000

Centennial Park/Timber Carpentry LLC, 3302 Howard Ave, Com Fence/Roof/Siding,  $4,000

City Of Billings The/Timber Carpentry LLC, 2100 Avenue C, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $12,000

Joshua LLC/Lennick Bros. Roofing & Sheetmetal, 823 N 27th St, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $15,000

McCall Homes/McCall Development, 1625 Annafeld Pkwy E, Com New Other, $2,275,000

Fagg Family Properties LLC/Jones Construction, Inc, 235 N 32nd St, Com New Other, $500

McDonnell Family Irrevocable T/Raisin Contracting Inc, 408 N 15th St, Demolition Permit Commercial, $6,000

SBA Communications, 2132 Grand Ave, Com Addition, $50,000

Reger, James R & Deborah C, 1601 S Shiloh Rd, Com Addition, $50,000

Market Place West Partners LLC/Summit Roofing Inc, 2821 King Ave W, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $138,800

MLC Ranch LLC/Perfect 10, 111 N 31st St, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $180,000

Apartments Delaware L/Dutton Construction, 1607 17th St W Avenue C, Com Fence/Roof/Siding, $723,895

1400 S 24th LLC, 1420 S 24th St W, Com Footing/Foundation, $360,000

St John’s Foundation/Van Arsdale, Duane Constr Inc, 502 N 30th St, Com Remodel $30,000

Zoo Montana Inc/T.W. Clark Construction LLC, 2100 S Shiloh Rd, Com Remodel, $50,000

Aaron Brdt, 1008 Shiloh Crossing Blvd, Com Remodel, $95,305

Rocky Plaza Association/T.W. Clark Construction LLC, 1400 Poly Dr, Com Remodel, $4,500

Dude Rancher Lodge/Red Bear Contracting, 415 N 29th St, Com Remodel $2,100

Residential

Copper Ridge West Inc/Infinity Home LLC, 3140 Forbes Blvd, Res New Single Family, $212,912

Better Building Technologies/MJH Construction, 2116 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $232,000

Wagenhals Enterprise Inc/Wagenhals Enterprises Inc, 1106 Daybreak Dr, Res New Single Family, $248,285

Infinity Homes/Infinity Home LLC, 2140 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $250,214

McCall Development Inc/McCall Development, 1954 Annas Garden Ln, Res New Single Family,$436,118

McCall Development Inc/McCall Development, 1708 Annas Garden Ln, Res New Single Family, $201,046

Wagenhals Enterprises Inc/Wagenhals Enterprises Inc, 5505 Morning Star Ln, Res New Single Family, $270,000

McCall Homes/McCall Development, 6127 Eva Marie Ln, Res New Single Family, $188,362

McCall Homes/McCall Development, 6114 Johanns Meadow Ln, Res New Single Family, $157,125

Robert & Carol Jones Living Trust/Blake Construction, 1749 Mariposa Ln, Res New Accessory  Structure, $65,000

CDH, LLC/ CDH, LLC, 2204 Gleneagles Blvd, Res New Single Family $333,126

CDH, LLC/ CDH, LLC, 835 Beringer Way, Res New Single Family, $291,448

CDH, LLC/CDH, LLC, 2202 Greenbriar Rd, Res New Single Family, $276,921

McCall Homes/McCall Development, 6125 Johanns Meadow Ln, Res New Single Family, $268,522

Jaime Nelson, 6251 Canyonwoods Dr, Res New Single Family, $440,000

Sunset Construction LLC/ Goggins, Zack J, 1702 Avenue C, Demolition Permit Residential, $1,500

815 N 31st Street LLC/Digger Excavation Inc, 815 N 31st St, Demolition Permit Residential, $10,000

Svec, Joel F & Erica J/Bruechert Custom Homes, 4948 Silver Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $286,314

Trevor Sherner/Had Inc, 5204 Grass Mountain Rd, Res New Single Family, $333,702

Trevor Sherner/Had Inc, 2237 Entrada Rd, Res New Single Family, $262,189

Conlon, Jalene/Ban Construction Corp, 2121 S Stone Creek Trl, Res New Single Family, $634,428

Andersen, William R/Anderson Management Group, 4213 Woodgrove Dr, Res New Single Family, $440,500

Design Builders, Inc/Design Builders, Inc., 2529 Buffalo Ridge Trl, Res New Single Family, $329,886

McCall Homes/McCall Development, 1949 Annas Garden Ln, Res New Single Family, $236,916.

THE FINANCIAL FOCUS

24 September 2021
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By Michael Vondra, Edward Jones

Start thinking about your retirement income plan

If you’re getting close to retirement, you’re probably thinking about the ways your life will soon be changing. And one key transition involves your income – instead of being able to count on a regular paycheck, as you’ve done for decades, you’ll now need to put together an income stream on your own. How can you get started?

It’s helpful that you begin thinking about retirement income well before you actually retire. Many people don’t – in fact, 61% of retirees wish they had done better at planning for the financial aspects of their retirement, according to an Edward Jones/Age Wave study titled Retirement in the Time of Coronavirus: What a Difference a Year Makes.

Fortunately, there’s much you can do to create and manage your retirement income. Here are a few suggestions:

      • Consider ways to boost income. As you approach retirement, you’ll want to explore ways of potentially boosting your income. Can you afford to delay taking Social Security so your monthly checks will be bigger? Can you increase your contributions to your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, including taking advantage of catch-up contributions if you’re age 50 or older? Should you consider adding products that can provide you with an income stream that can potentially last your lifetime? 

      • Calculate your expenses. How much money will you need each year during your retirement? The answer depends somewhat on your goals. For example, if you plan to travel extensively, you may need more income than someone who stays close to home. And no matter how you plan to spend your days in retirement, you’ll need to budget for health care expenses. Many people underestimate what they’ll need, but these costs can easily add up to several thousand dollars a year, even with Medicare.

      • Review your investment mix. It’s always a good idea to review your investment mix at least once a year to ensure it’s still appropriate for your needs. But it’s especially important to analyze your investments in the years immediately preceding your retirement. At this point, you may need to adjust the mix to lower the risk level. However, you probably won’t want to sell all your growth-oriented investments and replace them with more conservative ones – even during retirement, you’ll likely need some growth potential in your portfolio to help you stay ahead of inflation.

      • Create a sustainable withdrawal rate. Once you’re retired, you will likely need to start taking money from your IRA and 401(k) or similar plan. But it’s important not to take too much out in your early years as a retiree, since you don’t want to risk outliving your income. A financial professional can help you create a sustainable withdrawal rate based on your age, level of assets, family situation and other factors. 

By planning ahead, and making the right moves, you can boost your confidence in your ability to maintain enough income to last throughout your retirement. And with a sense of financial security, you’ll be freer to enjoy an active lifestyle during your years as a retiree. 

Michael A Vondra

Certified Financial Planner Practitioner

Edward Jones

Texans Like Home Schooling

24 September 2021
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The number of Texas families pulling their children out of public schools and pursuing home-schooling in one week this month is five times greater than the same time period last year, the Texas Homeschool Coalition reports.

“We are literally inundated with calls and emails from thousands upon thousands of families asking how they can begin homeschooling this fall,” Tim Lambert, president of the Texas Home School Coalition, said.

“In the fall of 2020, the number of homeschooling families in Texas had nearly tripled from 4.5 percent in the spring to 12.3 percent by October, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,” the coalition reports. A conservative estimate put the number of students being home-schooled in Texas in 2020 at roughly 750,000, a state record.

Last year, the coalition saw a 400% increase in requests from parents to help them process withdrawal requests from public schools. Prior to the state shutdown, between 22,000 and 25,000 Texas students had already been withdrawn from the public school system.

TDS Starts Construction

24 September 2021
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TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS) has kicked off construction on the 500-mile fiber-to-the home network in Billings. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company was recently granted design and permit approval from the city on the network that will ultimately connect more than 40,000 homes and businesses across the community.

Billings is the first city in Montana to receive a fiber optic network.

Billings Mayor Bill Cole gave a thumbs up to TDS coming to town. “TDS is modernizing and expanding the infrastructure here and the company is bringing services that will greatly help our businesses and residences,” said Cole. “Another choice for internet, TV, and phone services is great news for our community. This fiber network will help us build an even stronger economy.” 

TDS is working with CEC Facilities Group out of Irving, Texas to construct the network. CEC has begun construction and started preparation work to place new fiber-optic cable in downtown Billings. Construction in residential neighborhoods will begin in late November.

In addition, TDS’ expansion into Billings will create new job opportunities, with new positions now posted on the company’s website.

When the fiber network is complete, TDS will deliver up to 2Gig internet speeds for businesses and residents. With speeds up to 2Gig, it’s possible to download a typical two-hour, 4K movie in under a minute. “Say hello Billings to a reliable internet network, TV, and phone services, along with amazing customer service,” said Jim Butman, president and CEO of TDS.

Montana will be the 32nd state to which TDS offers its services. 

Area residents can visit www.tdsfiber.com to register for service, monitor the progress of the build, and sign up for notifications about the new service.

TDS is one of the fastest growing technology companies in the United States. The company is building and deploying future-forward, fiber optic networks to deliver up to 2 Gigabit internet speeds to homes and up to 10 Gigabit internet speeds to businesses. The technology also powers TV entertainment, feature-rich phone plans, and VoIP solutions. TDS employs nearly 2,900 people nationwide and is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS Inc.), a Fortune 1000 company. Founded in 1969, TDS Inc. companies collectively employ 9,100 people and have approximately six million connections nationwide through business units: U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom, TDS Metrocom, OneNeck IT Solutions LLC, and TDS Broadband Service.

Survey Scrutinizes Public Views of Education

24 September 2021
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In a survey of public opinion about the state of education in the country conducted by EdChoice reports that only about two out of five Americans believe that K-12 education is headed in the right direction, which is actually an improvement over a 2016 survey of about 18 points. Over half say it is on the wrong track, a 10-pont decrease since the fall of 2020.

However, the opinion of parents differed from that of the general public. Their opinion that school’s are headed in the right direction (44%)   has remained steady while the opinion of the general public that it is on the wrong track declined by 10 points.

Current school parents are more pessimistic about the K-12 education than is the general public.

The type of schools children attended appeared to have an effect on parents’ perception of K-12 education. Charter school parents were more likely to be optimistic than school district and homeschooling parents.

Homeschoolers had the most negative view of the state of education. About 56 percent of Homeschoolers said that the public education was headed in the wrong direction.

The survey stated that the pandemic disrupted school enrollments and expectations. Some public schools lost large numbers of students and home schooling rates soared to new heights. 

Eighty-three percent of children were enrolled in public district schools in school year 2018–19. Less than half of that share of parents said public schools were their preferred school type. Eight percent of students were enrolled in private schools; 6 percent in public charter schools; and 3 percent were homeschooled. In comparison, 36 percent of parents ideally preferred private schooling for their children; 14 percent preferred charter schools; and 12 percent preferred homeschooling.

Homeschooling was most likely to be preferred by a lower-income parent. Middle-income parents favored private schooling notably more than other school types, and higher-income parents preferred district schools and private schools almost equally.

Parents were also asked what grade they would give their local schools. Parents were most praiseworthy of their local private schools, with 74 percent of applicable parents giving an “A” or “B.” Fifty-nine percent of applicable parents gave the same grades to charter schools, a significant jump from their 2020 results. Less than half of district or public schools received an “A” or “B,” substantially lower than last year.

The survey asked parents what was important to them in selecting a school. Parents with children in public district schools were most likely to mention location as a top priority for selecting a school, nearly twice the rate of private school parents. Socialization was the second most-cited reason parents select district schools, followed closely by noting that the school was assigned to their family.

Private school parents and charter school parents signaled that academic reputation was the most important aspect, followed by a safe environment and morals/character/values instruction. Homeschooling parents heavily valued a safe environment, with more than half of them placing it in their top three. Individualized attention was a clear second for homeschooling parents, while location and moral instruction were a tight third and fourth.

The vast majority of Americans underestimate how much money public schools spend.

The median person guessed $7,000 per student per year, while the median parent guessed $5,000. Taking into account the state where each respondent resides, 77 percent of Americans and 81 percent of school parents underestimated how much public schools actually spend, which on average approaches about $25,000 per student.

Learning loss concerns are prevalent after a school year full of disruptions and shifts back-and-forth between remote, hybrid and in-person learning. So we wanted to know how much parents were interested in supplemental or alternative education this year.

Two-fifths of parents said they were at least somewhat likely to seek tutoring for their children this year, though charter and private school parents were noticeably more likely to say they may seek tutoring.

SIA respondents were asked their opinion on school choice generally, without providing a definition. The majority of parents and the general population (60%) said they supported school choice. Seventeen percent of the general public and 13 percent of parents said they oppose it. A fifth of the general population and a quarter of parents said they had never heard of school choice.

Start-ups Companies Get Intensive Training

24 September 2021
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Five new Montana companies have been selected to participate in the 2021 Early Stage HyperAccelerator, one of which is a Billings-based Real Estate Data platform for commercial brokers and appraisers. The HyperAccelerator is a program of Early Stage Montana, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of new technology companies.

The HyperAccelerator program provides an intensive 5-day, 50-hour training program, Sept. 20-24,supported by dozens of highly successful entrepreneur trainers and mentors, aimed at helping these companies accelerate their growth and job creation potential.

The other four companies selected to be part of the program are:

-PestNotify, a Butte-based company developing an early pest monitoring selection technology allowing landlords to avoid costly bed bug outbreaks.

— Nano Magnetic Solutions, a Bozeman based technology offering a tissue-scale magnetic force application system that opens new avenues for in vitro neuroscience research

—SensorLogic, a Bozeman-based firm developing next generation snow-pack monitoring technology to better predict water availability and drought conditions

— Resilient Computing: A Bozeman-based firm creating radiation-tolerant computing solutions and building computers capable of operating in space.

On October 20, 2021 in Bozeman the five tech startups will gather at the Early Stage MT Statewide Showcase to celebrate Montana technology environment. More than 200 entrepreneurs, mentors, investors from around the country, and tech community leaders will join the event.

The startups were selected by vetting companies from throughout the state at Regional Showcase Competitions held earlier this summer in Bozeman, Missoula, and Billings. Dozens of entrepreneurs from around the state submitted applications for the regional competitions, and thirteen were chosen to present their businesses to a panel of judges. The startups who scored highest in areas such as the size of their market opportunity, the quality of the proposed solution, leadership potential, and the likelihood of creating high-quality jobs in Montana were selected to move onto the next stage to take part in the HyperAccelerator training program.