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State School Payments
The November State School Funding Payments for FY 2023 are posted at the following link: State School Payments
The November 21, 2022 payments include: Direct State Aid, Quality Educator Component, At Risk Component, Indian Education for All, Student Achievement Gap, Data for Achievement, Special Education, Indian Language Immersion Program, and State Coal Mitigation Block Grant.
If you have questions regarding payments, please contact Autumn Belmont (406) 444-9852
Changes to Trustees Financial Summary - Due Dec 10th
If you find a material coding error on your FY2022 Trustees Financial Summary (TFS), please scan, and submit your revision to the School Finance Division at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.
Questions can be directed to Laci Novark, Budget Analyst at 406-444-4401 or Andrea Mohammadi, Budget Analyst at 406-444-1960. Revisions can be mailed to: OPI School Finance, PO Box 202501, Helena, MT 59620-2501.
Please submit your revisions as soon as possible. The deadline for submitting revisions is December 10.
Compensation Expenditure Reporting - Due Dec 10th
MAEFAIRS is available to report the FY2023 Compensation Expenditure Report. The Compensation Expenditure report is due to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) by December 10, 2022.
The FY 2022 Compensation Expenditure Reporting Instructions have been updated and are available on the OPI website.
If you have questions regarding Compensation Expenditure Reporting, please email OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov or contact Laci Novark, Budget Analyst at 406-444-4401 or Andrea Mohammadi, Budget Analyst at 406-444-1960.
For TEAMS/TOE information, contact Ellery Bresler at 406-444-2410.
Fall ANB Count - changes accepted through December 31, 2022
Changes to the Fall ANB Count will be accepted through December 31, 2022. Please verify your student counts. Contract Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 for instructions on submitting student count changes. Please do not send change requests via email.
ESSA Reporting - Fiscal Year 2022 ESSA Per Pupil Data and Validations - Due Dec 10th
The Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires school-based expenditure reporting. This guidance is designed to help districts comply with statewide uniformity to fulfill the federal requirements created in 34 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) § 200.35. District compliance is essential for Federal compliance. Federal law requires all districts to report expenditures by SC, regardless of enrollment, the number of school buildings, or location.
The OPI has limited authority to make changes in the district’s financial records after the Trustees’ Financial Summary (TFS) report has been approved by the Board of Trustees and County Superintendent of Schools. All expenditures, including mandatory ESSA entries, are the responsibility of the district. The allowable circumstances in which the OPI can make changes to the TFS are prescribed in ARM 10.10.504.
All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) report per-pupil expenditure data at the school or LEA level, including allocations of district-wide expenditures to the school level. Expenditures are disaggregated by the source of (revenues) funds (state, local, and federal). School-level expenditure reporting is submitted to the OPI in MAEFAIRS, which publishes the information in the Montana Report Card as mandated by ESSA reporting requirements.
LEAs with only one designated SC are the only LEAs that do not have to allocate expenditures by SC. If the LEA is designated as the Prime Agency for expenditures in the School Food Service Fund (12), Miscellaneous Programs Fund (15), and the Interlocal Agreement Fund (82) those expenditures will be reported separately in the TFS. The TFS data entry will allocate the expenditure to the appropriate entity or LEA.
Please contact your software vendor for guidance on setting up school codes in your accounting system. This is a very important step and the OPI is encouraging school districts to work with their software vendors. The following software vendors have provided their contact information:
Black Mountain Software
Please contact support@blackmountainsoftware.com or call the support line
at 1-800-353-8829.
C and C Accounting
Please contact David Bardwell at 877-318-0837 or help@candcschoolaccounting.com.
Tyler Technologies/ Infinite Visions
Enter a ticket online through the support portal at https://www.tylertech.com/client-support/Infinite-Visions-support# [tylertech.com] and you will be contacted by the support department, or call the support line at 888.654.3293.
FY 2023 Elections
OPI School Finance Staff, in conjunction with Nicole Thuotte, AIM Unit Manager, and MASBO will be doing the annual election training via Zoom. This training will be recorded, but districts are encouraged to join the original meeting and ask questions. The training will be conducted on Thursday, December 1. Registration is through MASBO (Election Training Registration) and links will be provided prior to the training.
The bi-weekly check-in meetings will also begin sooner this year – to give more opportunities for districts to ask questions and to update districts with legislative changes. There will be one check-in on December 16th to discuss candidate filing and update districts about potential legislation that will be introduced in the legislative session). Bi-weekly meetings will begin on January 6, 2023. A full schedule and links will be provided on the Election webpage soon.
The FY 2023 District Classification Report, the report of Districts Required to Report Campaign Finance, and the Election Handbook will be published soon. Please check the Election webpage for updates.
If you have any questions, please email OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov or call Andrea Mohammadi 444-1960 or Barbara Quinn 444-3249.
Tuition Forms - complete and entered into Maefairs
Student Attendance Agreements should be completed upon enrollment in a school (20-5-322, MCA). Students who are in foster or group homes outside of their resident district should be entered into MAEFAIRS as soon as they are approved by the attending district. This allows resident districts to review their obligations or dispute their status as resident district – facilitating payments due in the ensuing year. Please make sure to enter these agreements in a timely manner and run the reports set up for resident districts in MAEFAIRS. Please see the forms located under Tuition and Attendance.
FP14.2 Foster and Group Home Student Attendance Agreement
FP15 Day Treatment and Out-of-State Tuition
If you have any questions, please email OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov or call Andrea Mohammadi 444-1960 or Barbara Quinn 444-3249.
Type E Bus Requirements
School districts that may consider purchasing a Type E bus for transporting students on approved home-to-school routes must do the following:
Type E must have a capacity of 10 or fewer passengers and meet the definition of a school bus as outlined in 20-10-101(4)(a)(i)(ii), MCA.
20-10-148, MCA requires a district to complete a cost analysis of a traditional type A – D school bus versus the type E school bus before acquiring this bus type. This cost analysis must be on file for review.
Prior to the purchase, the vehicle must have an overall Five Star Safety Rating that meets the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rating chart. Please visit the NHTSA to verify the ratings.
Type E bus standards and regulations can be reviewed in the 2022 Montana School Bus Standards.
For questions regarding bus standards, please contact Donell Rosenthal or call (406) 461-9316.
Bus Driver Certificate (TR35)
School bus drivers must hold a valid Montana School Bus Driver Certificate (TR35) for a district to be eligible to receive state reimbursement.
Qualifications for bus drivers are prescribed by 20-10-103, MCA, and by the Board of Public Education in ARM 10.64.201. The bus driver certificate forms are provided and must be maintained electronically in the Pupil Transportation System.
The chair of the board of trustees must sign the certificate which is issued to a driver who is authorized and qualified to drive a school bus pursuant to all applicable rules, regulations, and laws. The district must retain a current copy of each bus driver's certificate, provide a copy to the bus service contractor, if applicable, and file a copy with the county superintendent. The bus driver is required to always carry a current and valid hard copy of the certificate while driving a school bus.
If you have questions regarding Bus Driver Qualifications, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316.
School Buses Assigned
School Buses that are inactive or no longer with a school district should be un-assigned from the school system.
For school buses that have been totaled or disposed of, please contact Donell Rosenthal or call (406) 461-9316 to exclude these buses from the lists.
Mandatory 15-Hour Bus Driver Training
A quality driver training program is critical to the success of a school transportation program. The commitment to provide school bus drivers who are safe, competent and well-trained should be the goal of every school district.
In order to achieve that goal, each district shall develop and implement a continuing education program for school bus drivers providing at least 15 hours of mandatory in-service training annually. The plan shall, upon request, be available for inspection by the Office of Public Instruction.
The minimum required training topics can be reviewed in the 2022 Montana School Bus Standards.
Training should be well documented for every driver that includes the date of training, hours completed, the topic of training, and the duration of the training.
For questions regarding bus driver training, please contact Donell Rosenthal or call (406) 461-9316.
Annual Driving Records for Bus Drivers
A yearly check of all driver’s license records must be completed to ensure compliance with 20-10-103, MCA, 10.7.111, and 10.64.201, ARM.
A safe driving record may not have evidence of any of the following:
(i) more than one moving traffic violation within any 12-month period of the preceding 36 months;
(ii) any conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs within the preceding 36 months; or
(iii) a conviction resulting in mandatory revocation or suspension of a driver's license in the previous five years.
To request driving records, please go to Montana Motor Vehicle Division website and follow the instructions for obtaining a driving record.
For questions regarding bus driver qualifications, please contact Donell Rosenthal or call (406) 461-9316.
Audit Letter for FY-2022
The annual letter to auditors has been revised and can be found on the OPI website by clicking this Audit link. The letter provides general information for the fiscal year 2022 regarding issues affecting Montana school district audits and special items the OPI would like auditors to review for compliance with the statute and administrative rule. If you have questions, please contact Kristen Becker by email or phone at 406-444-0701.
School Year 2022-23 Changes
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STRUCTURE CHANGES with an effective date of July 1, 2023: School districts with changes to operating status, grade level configurations, school/district name, etc., should contact the OPI as soon as possible. Please send official notice of these change requests, on district letterhead, signed by the Authorized Representative, to the School Finance email at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.
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PERSONNEL CHANGES: Changes to the board chair, clerk/business manager, superintendent, or principal must be changed in OPI Contacts. Instructions for how to make these changes are found here: Instructions. If you have questions about how to complete the updates, please contact: CentralUpdates@mt.gov.
New to the School Finance Team
Laci Novark joined the School Finance team in October of 2022. Laci was most recently a District Clerk for 6.5 years, where she learned the rewards of a career supporting children and their education. Prior to working as a clerk, she was in banking for 10 years. She has three boys who keep her busy with their active schedules. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and enjoys the outdoors.
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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