Montana HS athletics runs through MHSA's four-class structure (AA / A / B / C) across a geographically vast state where 6-man football lives at the Class C level and travel logistics drive every scheduling decision. Lightning for Schools is built for MHSA athletic directors: Montana HB 745 + Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act-compliant student-data handling and pricing with 10 included coach seats plus low-cost extras.

Built for MHSA

Governing Body

Montana High School Association (MHSA)

Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support MHSA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference: www.mhsa.org.

Compliant with Montana HB 745 (2020) + Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (with SB 297 minor-protection amendments)

Student Data Privacy

Montana HB 745 (2020) + Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (with SB 297 minor-protection amendments)

Montana HB 745 (2020) protects K-12 student personal information from unauthorized access — particularly targeted marketing and advertising — in Montana public schools. The Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (as amended by SB 297) layers stricter requirements for processing the personal data of minors under 18, including entities that deliver commercial products intentionally targeted to Montana residents. Together they go beyond FERPA's baseline for vendor obligations. Lightning's data-handling practices are built to meet these requirements; a vendor that can't speak to your state's privacy framework should not be on your shortlist.

What Montana athletic directors actually deal with

MHSA uses four enrollment-based classifications: Class AA (801+), A (301-800), B (101-300), C (1-100). Class C football includes 6-man (and at the smallest schools, 8-man) variants — distinct rosters, scoring, and rules from 11-man. ADs at Class B/C programs operationally run a different sport than Class AA peers.
Geographic spread across Montana means inter-conference travel can run 6-8 hours each way; MHSA conference assignments factor travel realities heavily. Western Montana (Missoula, Kalispell) vs Eastern Montana (Billings, Miles City) travel logistics are a known scheduling pressure point.
Billings, Bozeman/Belgrade, Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, and Kalispell/Flathead form the Class AA + A recruiting clusters. Class B/C programs in smaller communities (Choteau, Glasgow, Plentywood, etc.) rely heavily on AAU summer ball and out-of-state showcases for D1-D2 visibility — recruiting reach is uneven across the state.
Montana HB 745 (2020) plus the Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (with SB 297 minor-protection amendments) impose stricter obligations on vendors processing data for users under 18 — athletic-department software handling student-athlete data should expect documented compliance to be part of district procurement review.

What Lightning for Schools includes

10 coach seats included

Flat $150/yr base includes 10 full coach seats. Need more for a big multi-sport department? Add extra seats anytime at 50% of the coach-tier price.

Roster + eligibility

Per-sport, per-season roster management with eligibility tracking, transfer documentation, and out-of-season practice limits.

Recruiting portal integration

Your student-athletes' Lightning profiles roll into a searchable college-coach portal — recruiting attention without leaving the AD platform.

DPA-compliant data handling

Aligned with Montana HB 745 (2020) + Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (with SB 297 minor-protection amendments) requirements. Documentation available for your district's procurement review.

Stat verification

Coach Verified and Tournament Verified stats flow into the recruiting layer automatically. Reduces manual roster-update workload for AD staff.

Multi-season scheduling

Fall / winter / spring sport scheduling in one tool — facility allocation, transportation requests, official assignments.

Built for athletic departments across Montana

We're looking for our first partner departments in the state. If you're an AD in one of these areas and want to talk through a pilot:

Billings (Yellowstone County) Bozeman / Belgrade (Gallatin Valley) Missoula area Helena area Great Falls (Cascade County) Kalispell / Flathead Valley

Lightning for Schools · MT

$150 / year

Base tier · 10 coach seats included · Montana HB 745 (2020) + Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (with SB 297 minor-protection amendments) compliant

See full Lightning for Schools details →

Talk to Christian directly

I'm the founder. Montana athletic directors who want to talk through a pilot or just get specific questions answered can reach me directly: [email protected] or (443) 996-6563.