State School Payments
The October State School Funding Payments for FY 2024 are posted at the following link: State School Payments
The November 21, 2023 payments include: Direct State Aid, Quality Educator Component, At Risk Component, Indian Education for All, Student Achievement Gap, Data for Achievement and Special Education.
If you have questions regarding payments, please contact Laci Novark (406) 444-4401
State School Entitlements
The State School Funding Payments Entitlement for FY 2024 were posted at the following link: State School Payments>Entitlements
For more information, please contact Laci Novark, at (406) 444-4401 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
Compensation Expenditures Reporting – Due Dec 10th
Compensation Expenditures reporting is a process set up to assist schools with their responsibilities to be transparent with the use of public funds in accordance with 20-7-104, MCA. This reporting collects and reports information pertaining to all salaries paid to employees in the district in a fiscal year. Compensation Expenditure reports must be submitted by December 10th for the previous fiscal year’s data. Districts will be required to complete the compensation expenditures in TEAMS to finalize the fiscal year 2023 process. You will need to log into TEAMS to complete, this will be located at the bottom of the System tab called “Compensation Expenditure TOE.”
If you do not have access to TEAMS or are having troubles logging in, please contact OPITEAMS@mt.gov.
MAEFAIRS is now available to report the FY2023 Compensation Expenditure Report. The Compensation Expenditure report is due to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) by December 10th, 2023. The FY2023 Compensation Expenditure Reporting Instructions are available on the OPI Website.
For questions regarding Compensation Expenditure Reporting within MAEFAIRS please contact: Alivia Skeslien-Jenkins, 406-444-1964, Laci Novark, 406-444-4401, or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov
Requests for Changes to the TFS - Due Dec 10th
The following steps must be completed.
Step 1: On a photocopy of the originally submitted TFS printout:
- Cross out the amount to be revised.
- Legibly write or type in the revised amount above or beside the original amount or submit a detailed excel worksheet.
- In MAEFAIRS run the ESSA School Code Allocation Report. Access that by Views-> ESSA -> ESSA School Code Allocation. If the fund that you are wanting to change is split by school code, please attach a copy of the adjustments made there as well.
- Requestor must sign and date EACH page.
- Send the request and form for changes to:
Montana Office of Public Instruction Attn: Amanda Zigan PO Box 202501 Helena, MT 59620-2501 or Email: OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov
Requests for changes can be mailed or scanned and emailed. All completed requests must be received by the OPI no later than December 10. (ARM 10.10.504).
Step 2: Email a copy of the corrected TFS to the county superintendent with an explanation of requested changes.
Step 3: After changes have been completed by the OPI, verify that changes have been made accurately and send confirmation to the OPI.
Fall ANB Count – Changes Accepted through Dec 31st
Changes to the Fall ANB Count will be Accepted through December 31, 2023. Please verify your student Counts. Contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 for instructions on submitting student count changes.
For more information, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960, or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
FY 2023 Elections
OPI School Finance Staff is currently working on a training schedule for December through January. Once finalized districts will be notified. The election calendar is available here Election Calendar - 2024 Expanded (mt.gov). Additional guidance is also available at Elections (mt.gov).
For more information, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960, or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
OPI Application Access Guides for NEW Clerks and Superintendents
The OPI has updated information for new:
To assist in getting set up with their new roles, please see the documents located on the School Finance webpage. For more information, please contact Amanda Zigan at (406) 444-3096 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
FY 2024 County Treasurer’s FP-6b
The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has posted an update to the FY2024 Countywide School Funds – FP6b Version 1 spreadsheet. It can be found here under County Forms.
If you have questions regarding the update, please contact Autumn Belmont, Budget Analyst at (406) 444-9852 or send an email to OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov
TR1 Bus Routes Due
By November 10, the county superintendent must electronically approve each TR-1 submitted by the district in in the Pupil Transportation Portal.
For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
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, topic of training, and the duration of the training.
For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
Annual Driving Records
Annual driving records must be performed on all drivers to ensure compliance with School Bus Driver Qualifications in 20-10-103, MCA and 10.64.201, ARM.
Driving Records information can be requested through the Montana Department of Justice
For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
Passenger Manifests (TR2) Forms
The TR2 Bus Rider Form is a passenger manifest of all students being transported. This form shall be maintained and kept on board the bus with driver access when necessary and left with proper authorities at the school or institution as needed.
In the event of an emergency, the passenger manifest and/or seating chart, shall be made available to the investigating officer/emergency personnel upon request.
For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
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 files 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.
For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
Bus Route Change Requirements
When the board of trustees changes a route's mileage per day, or if a different school bus is used on the route, the trustees must approve the change in miles, submit it first to the county transportation committee for approval and then electronically submit a revised TR1 form to the Superintendent of Public Instruction by accessing the Pupil Transportation Portal.
The route (the area served and the miles per day) must be established by the board of trustees, by board resolution. 20-10-132 , MCA and 10.7.112, ARM.
For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
Audit Letter for FY-2023
The annual letter to auditors has been released and can be found on the OPI website by clicking this Audit link. The letter provides general information for the fiscal year 2023 regarding issues affecting Montana school district audits and special items the OPI would like auditors to review for compliance with statute and administrative rule.
For more information, please contact Kristen Becker at 406-444-0701 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
School Year 2023-24 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.
For more information, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at 406-444-1960.
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PERSONNEL CHANGES: Changes to Trustee, 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.
For more information, please contact Amanda Zigan at 406-444-3096, or contact us by email at CentralUpdates@mt.gov.
Updating School Contact Information with OPI
District Clerks are responsible for keeping their district’s contact information up to date. According to § 20-3-307, MCA, Trustee Contact information is required to be updated within 14 days following the qualification and oathtaking of a newly elected trustee or for the filling of vacancy on the board (the county superintendent is responsible for providing information to the district clerk for the purpose of updating the Trustee Repository). Contact information also affects the Budget and TFS reports as well as how the AR for OPI and E-Grants updates. The instructions on how to update your schools’ information can be found at the following link: Instructions.
PERSONNEL CHANGES: All school districts please go to the OPI website - Directory of Montana Schools - to verify your schools’ information.
Changes must be made by the Clerk in OPI Contacts for:
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Trustees (required by HB 811).
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Board chair.
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Clerk/business manager.
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Superintendent.
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Principal.
For more information, please contact Amanda Zigan at 406-444-3096, or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.
School Finance Updates to the OPI Website
Updated State Major Maintenance Aid on the School Finance State School Payments page, under Entitlements.
Added new FP6b on the School Finance County page, under County Forms.
Updated ARP Act MOEquity Section 2004c – Meeting Recording on the School Finance Webinars Page, under FY 2024 Webinars.
Updated Budget Amendment Packet on the School Finance Budget Page, under Budget Spreadsheets & Guidance.
Updated Indian Education for All FAQ on the School Finance Accounting Page, in Guidance and Manuals, under Other Materials.
Updated Tax Credit Scholarship and Innovation Education Program Guidance on the School Finance Accounting Page, in Guidance and manuals under Program Guidance.
Updated Montana Digital Academy Guidance Document on the School Finance Accounting Page, in Guidance and manuals under Program Guidance.
Updated TFS Instructions on the School Finance Accounting Page, in Guidance and manuals under Other Materials.
Posted FY 2024 Budget Reports on the School Finance Budget Page, under Budget Reports.
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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