Bill > HB168

This bill modifies Montana's school funding laws to include 3- and 4-year-old children with disabilities in the Annual Number Belonging (ANB) calculations, which determine state financial support for school districts. Currently, preschool programs created at trustees' discretion are excluded from ANB calculations, which means school districts receive no state funding for these programs. The bill amends two sections of state law to accomplish this: first, it adds preschool-aged children with disabilities to the list of "exceptional circumstances" that allow trustees to admit children outside the typical 5-19 age range for school enrollment, and second, it specifically allows preschool children with disabilities receiving special education services to be included in ANB calculations based on their aggregate hours of instruction. This change is significant because Montana law already requires school districts to provide special education programs for children with disabilities starting at age 3, but previously did not provide a mechanism for funding these programs. By enabling ANB calculations for these preschool special education programs, the bill ensures that school districts can receive state financial support for serving these young students with disabilities. The bill will become effective on July 1, 2025, and will apply to enrollment counts and ANB calculations for school fiscal years beginning on or after that date.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1786