Amidst the national discourse on the role of the Department of Education and the states in education, it's crucial to understand the impact of federal funding on Montana's education system. "In the 2021–2022 school year, Montana received a substantial $498.3 million in federal funding for public schools, a figure 30.8% higher than the national average. This funding covered 19% of the state's public school expenses in 2023, underscoring its significant role in the state's education landscape."
"In 2021–2022, Montana received $3,318 per student in federal funds for public schools."
"In 2023, Montana received $6,296 in education appropriations per FTE for two-year institutions and $7,532 for four-year institutions."
"Montana's school funding also comes from state and local dollars, including local property and state income taxes."
"The federal government awarded additional money to states to help public schools during the pandemic, but this funding is going away."
Montana's school funding formula is a complex structure that intricately divides the cost of school funding between local and state dollars. Understanding this complexity is crucial for policymakers, educators, and community members interested in education funding and infrastructure, as it forms the backbone of the state's education finance system.
"The SEPTR account is expected to bring in about $430 million each year of the 2025 biennium."
I had an interesting discussion with Dan Schrock, Superintendent of Big Sandy Schools.
Dan said, "So there's so much that remains unseen as to where the chips fall at the state legislative level. The Stars Act that the governors pushed because we are 50th in the nation for starting teacher pay, which is incredibly unfortunate. The hard part is, when you enrich one teacher class by the time you multiply that down and over on the salary matrix, it doesn't leave much wiggle room. So there's that. And who knows how that's going to work out? You know, Montana taxpayer's property taxes have gone through the roof. It hurts our agricultural communities."
Dan continued, "At the same time, our needs don't necessarily go away; as they continue, they become more expensive. So we're always looking at what we can do, but there's so much hanging out that we don't know yet. If the Feds were to kick the federal dollars to the state, I don't know if that would be a bad or a good thing. Superintendents throughout the state of Montana have massive federal reporting to do that really takes us away from the nuts and bolts of what we do, which is relationship building. You know, knowing your kids, encouraging your staff and students, working with families and community members, and trying to improve what we do, how we do it, and the facilities in which we do it. So it'll remain to be seen."
"We all know that we have needs. Our math scores are proficient at the state level and even in the country. I believe 65% of
our kids are proficient, which is unfortunate. Reading is a touch better at 70%, but still not ideal. We're still digging out from COVID and the learning loss that occurred during that time period. I really am proud of what we do here.
"The state of Montana needs to examine how equitable the funding formula is and how we can change it. As a result of that lawsuit, every 10 years, they look at the funding formula and see if it is equitable. I don't think it is. Suppose you look at all the states around us, Idaho, Wyoming, and Wyoming, in particular. In that case, they have a different funding formula, and they've been able to invest their resources into their educational system and their facilities. We have 100-year-old infrastructure. The things we've been able to do include the new electrical service to the high school and trying to remediate some asbestos. Many of the curriculum bought during COVID money and things like that all dried up. So now we still have these needs. I've written for some grants, and I'm waiting to hear how a million and a half dollars' worth of grants that I wrote for with the Bear Paw Development Corporation is going to turn out or if we're not successful in getting free money, we have no choice but to turn to our taxpayers that's why we've exhausted every opportunity as far as grants go, to make that happen."
"I don't know. Who knows? That's the uncertainty we're living in now. Is the Department of Education going to be there? This would be a Department of Energy grant."
"It is a challenging time just because change is tough for everyone, and you do not know what may change or how it will change, and you try to anticipate your needs. That's the big question. How are we going to meet the need, and not only that but the needs of the nuts and bolts? A functioning sewer line, for example, we had our sewer back up a few weeks ago." This was an issue in the past. We have old metal piping. We're looking at an old facility. How do you determine the extent of how bad it is and how much it's going to cost to fix it. The urgency of these infrastructure issues cannot be overstated, and immediate action is needed."
Everyone understands we haven't had the money in the past, and there is no money in the budget for the future. Dan understands the financial issues but has no answers, so the financial changes are adding extra concerns.
"There's significant support here in the community." During the recent strategic planning at the school, the community's role in addressing facility issues was emphasized. For instance, "Our roof has 25 years. We need to anticipate that. We know the condition of our sewers. We know it needs to be addressed. How will we do it with any certainty? It isn't going to be done without the support of the community standing behind the school and recognizing that your home needs maintenance, your tractors, your farm equipment, if you want it to function and to be able to be counted upon when you need it. It must be maintained, and we must maintain our facility." This sense of community involvement is crucial for the school's future.
The gym floor is also bulging again. "I talked to Paul Nelson, who is the owner of Western Montana Sports Force. And he's the best gym flooring guy in the three-state area: Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. He's great. When he's up there, he's going to stop me down here. We're monitoring that right now. I don't know what could cause that. Maybe moisture underneath the gym.
Funding for education is crucial!
