Missoula, MT – Montana’s public schools are poised to receive an additional $52.1 million in funding to support teacher salaries and various educational programs across the state. The funding increase is part of House Bill 15, a proposal introduced by Republican Representative David Bedey of Hamilton and supported by Governor Greg Gianforte’s office.
Governor Gianforte praised the bill, calling it a historic investment in Montana’s education system. “We gave the schools more money. In fact, we gave them historic amounts of money so that teachers, principals, and staff can get paid, and so we can have lights, good schools, and quality learning,” Gianforte stated.
The new funding will be used to adjust the state’s school funding formula to account for inflation. It will provide millions of dollars to the state’s K-12 BASE aid funding, which represents the minimum general fund budget that all public school districts are required to adopt in Montana.
The additional funds will also support various programs within the schools, including special education and the Indian Education for All initiative. Another key focus of the funding is to provide salary increases for teachers, who have faced rising costs and inflation in recent years.
East Helena Public Schools Superintendent Dan Rispens acknowledged the financial pressures facing local school districts, particularly with regard to staffing and salary increases. “It’s been tough. Staff increases and pay alone eat up a pretty good portion of the budget. Trying to keep up with those negotiated increases for pay would have probably put us in a situation where we were going to have to cut some staff just to make ends meet,” Rispens said.
While the bill outlines the intention to appropriate the funds, it does not directly allocate the money. The funding will be finalized in future legislative sessions, with the goal of ensuring that schools across Montana have the necessary resources to continue providing quality education to students.
This funding boost is expected to have a significant impact on Montana’s public education system, helping schools navigate the challenges of inflation, staffing needs, and educational program support.
