Bill > HB252

This bill creates the Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success (STARS) Act, which makes several significant changes to Montana's school funding system. The bill introduces a comprehensive approach to enhancing educational funding and support, with key provisions including expanding the types of educational entities eligible for quality educator payments, creating new incentives for increasing teacher base salaries, and establishing a future ready payment system. The bill introduces a phased approach to teacher salary improvements, requiring districts to gradually increase base teacher pay to 70% of the teacher average salary by fiscal year 2030. It also creates new opportunities for resource sharing among school districts, allowing multiple districts to jointly employ educators and receive full credit for those positions. The bill adds new categories of staff eligible for quality educator payments, including emergency authorization teachers and district clerks performing specific administrative functions. Additionally, the legislation establishes a future ready payment system beginning in fiscal year 2028 that provides financial incentives for high school graduates who earn postsecondary or career and technical education credits. The bill also requires the legislative fiscal analyst to develop a publicly accessible school funding data dashboard to improve transparency and understanding of school financing. To support districts in high-cost housing markets, the bill provides increased budget authority for districts in counties with higher-than-average residential property values, with specific requirements for how those additional funds can be used to support employee housing needs.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0262