Last year, $114,000 from those donations upgraded Billings schools’ tech.
BILLINGS, Mont. – Billings Public Schools received a significant boost last year through the Innovative Educational Tax Credit, which brought in $114,000. This funding was used to purchase updated electronic devices for students at local schools.
The Washington Innovation Center– Billings Opportunity School and Billings Early College School acquired laptops, iPads, and desktop computers. This new technology is enhancing the way students learn and engage with their education.
Bradley Brackney, a junior at Billings Opportunity School, shared how the school has positively impacted him. “Coming to the opportunity school has helped me, definitely made me see a lot more, be able to see that well there is still hope and graduating and that you can really just do anything if you have the help and you have the time,” he said.
Brackney also manages the WIC Spotlight Team and explained how the new technology is used for producing weekly Monday morning announcements. “Windows computers that we can use notepad on so we can learn how to code on a different software compared to some other ones cause all softwares are different. We have like the iPad so you can learn um how to do like graphic design, edit photo editing and then we have like like a green screen that we use for our videos on Mondays,” he said.
Logan Ekis, a member of the Washington Innovation Robotics Club, emphasized the impacts the technology has on their club, giving them a better idea on what their future could look like. Students can spend days, weeks and even months working on these projects.
“I’m gonna be going to either the military or trade school for diesel mechanics or go to the army,” Ekis said.
The Montana Department of Revenue will open their donation portal on January 15, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The state capped the tax credits at $5 million last year, which was claimed within 48 hours. This year, the cap is set at $6 million, and the same urgency is anticipated.
Community members interested in supporting local schools are encouraged to donate as soon as possible to take advantage of the tax credit.
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