Some 7,000 Romas live in the municipality; of them, 5,000 are residents of two neighborhoods in Montana, Kosharnik and Ogosta. One of the Roma neighborhoods is located 8 kilometers away from the city, which hinders the access of its residents to healthcare, social and other services. There are 22 schools in the municipality, including the only Roma school. The latter is located in the Kosharnik neighborhood and is attended only by Roma children. The knowledge acquired by the children at that school is far below the necessary minimum for them to continue their education, which results in their early dropping out of the educational system. The low quality of the education at the Roma school dooms the children to almost no career opportunities and, in the future, to high unemployment and low social status.

To overcome the educational problems of the Roma children, municipal experts held several informal meetings with Roma non - governmental organizations supported by the Roma community. In the last four years, the SHAM Foundation has been the driving force behind the desegregation of the Roma school, a process funded by external donors. This is why the municipal experts asked this particular foundation to provide consulting assistance. The foundation provides free bus transport to some 150 children from the distant Roma neighborhood to the downtown of Montana. With the assistance of the Municipality of the Montana and the Regional Inspectorate of Education of the Ministry of Education and Science the foundation divides the children between five schools in the city and in several preparatory groups at two kindergartens. Education in mixed schools provides the Roma children equal access to education and a chance for a career. Considering the low social status of the Roma families and the inability of most of them to provide textbooks to their children, the organization provides textbooks and study materials to the children that leave the Roma ghetto.

Based on the experience, best practices and results from the process initiated by the local non-governmental organization, the municipal experts on ethnic and demographic issues and European integration, assisted by the Roma councilors on the Montana Municipal Council and NGO representatives developed a long-term plan that describes local government's commitment to solve the educational problems of the Roma children. The purpose of the plan is to provide new opportunities to the Roma children, to overcome their early dropout of school and to support their integration in the mixed schools. The Plan for Educational Integration of Children and Students of Roma Origin includes specific timelines, persons responsible and goals, as well as the funds necessary to successfully complete the process. The Plan calls for the establishment of an Advisory Board on the Education of Children from Ethnic Minorities to the Montana Municipal Council. The Advisory Board is to be comprised of school and kindergarten principals, representatives of the Regional Inspectorate of Education, Roma NGOs and municipal councilors, teachers, etc. Other actions included in the Plan are the provision of transport to the Montana schools for Roma children, training the teachers to work in a multicultural environment, introduction of the assistant teacher position, inclusion of Roma folklore in the curriculums as a selectable subject, etc.

The Montana Municipal Council unanimously adopted the plan submitted by the municipal experts, thus expressing the local government's willingness to implement an educational policy targeting the Romas and to extend the support to the reforms in this field.

The municipal plan is based on: the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria (Art. 53, Para 1), the Educational Degree Act, the educational minimum and the curriculum, the Regulation on the Enforcement of the National Education Act, Ordinance No. 2 on the school curriculum (May 18, 2000), Ordinance No. 6 on the division of school time and the achievement of the educational minimum by class, stage and educational degree, the Protection from Discrimination Act and the Ministry of Education and Science s Strategy on the Educational Integration of Children and Students from the Ethnic Minorities in the Republic of Bulgaria (adopted on January 23, 2004).

- Greater number of Roma children admitted to mixed classes in all Montana schools at the beginning of the 2004/2005 academic year;

- Mobilized support and increased confidence in local authorities on behalf of the Roma community;

- Free transport and study materials provided to more than 200 Roma children;

- The percentage of dropouts reduced to minimum;

- Improved school achievements of Roma children;

- Encouraged involvement of Roma children in extracurricular activities as a means of keeping them at school ( ETHNOS folklore workshop at Hristo Botev General Education School with the participation of Romas, Bulgarians and Karakachans; a theater group of Roma children);

- Promotion of ethnic culture variety and discussion of the idea to include Roma folklore in the curriculum as a selectable subject;

- Basis formed for the establishment of an Advisory Board on the Education of Children from Ethnic Minorities to the Montana Municipal Council;

- In 2004 Municipality of Montana's plan was presented at international and national meetings organized by non - governmental organizations working on minority issues, as well as to municipal experts on ethnic and demographic issues, and has served as basis for the formulation of similar plans in several other municipalities.