Investing in Our Future: The Bozeman Schools Foundation’s Impact on Early Learning
At Greater Gallatin United Way, we believe in the power of education to transform lives, and one of the most impactful ways to support our community is through early learning initiatives. The Bozeman Schools Foundation is leading the charge with the opening of the Bozeman Reads Early Learning Center at Morning Star Elementary for the 2024-25 school year. This center will be a game-changer, providing free, targeted literacy and language programming to 4-year-olds and Special Education support to 3- and 4-year-olds, ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have the tools they need to succeed when they enter Kindergarten.
The new center is part of an expanded effort to address the growing literacy achievement gap in Bozeman, especially for low-income, Multilingual English Learners (ML/EL), and students with special needs. These groups are disproportionately represented among students not meeting grade-level standards, and the Bozeman Reads program has already proven successful, with 80% of participants demonstrating Kindergarten readiness—significantly higher than the overall Kindergarten cohort, where only 71% were ready. This success, along with the passage of MT House Bill 352, which provides state funding for early childhood education and literacy intervention, has allowed the Foundation and Bozeman School District (BSD7) to expand their literacy efforts and open the new Early Learning Center.
Aligned with BSD7’s Long Range Strategic Plan, the goal of the Center is to ensure that by 2025, 85% of all children entering Kindergarten will have the necessary literacy skills. Serving approximately 72 students, the Center will provide bilingual instruction, aftercare, parent education, and home visits from social workers, ensuring comprehensive support for both children and their families. This collaborative approach will create a community-driven model for early childhood education, fostering a collective investment in the future success of our children.
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from Greater Gallatin United Way, the Foundation will be able to subsidize these wrap-around services, ensuring that every child has access to the resources they need to thrive. Bozeman is one of the first districts in the state to build a comprehensive plan leveraging this new public funding, and the Bozeman Reads Early Learning Center will serve as a model for equitable early childhood programming and community partnerships across Montana.
At GGUW, we are proud to support the Bozeman Schools Foundation in their mission to close the literacy gap and ensure that every child in our community enters Kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed. By investing in early learning, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future for all our children and building a community where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
