Bill > HB15

This bill updates Montana's K-12 school funding formula by applying inflationary adjustments to various funding components for fiscal years 2026 and beyond. Specifically, the bill modifies several key funding definitions and amounts, including increasing the basic entitlement for high school and elementary school districts, adjusting per-student (ANB) entitlement rates, and raising payments for quality educators, American Indian achievement gap, data-for-achievement, Indian education, and special education allocations. The changes represent incremental increases to existing funding amounts, typically raising them by approximately 3-4% compared to the previous fiscal year. The bill uses Annual Enrollment (ANB) as a key metric for calculating funding, with different rates for different school district types and sizes. These adjustments are designed to help schools keep pace with rising costs and maintain educational funding levels that reflect current economic conditions. The bill will become effective on July 1, 2025, and will apply to school fiscal years beginning on or after that date, ensuring that schools can plan for and implement these funding changes in the upcoming budget cycle.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/20251/LC0720