School Finance Compass April 2024

Upcoming Due Dates

State School Payments

The April State School Funding Payments for FY 2024 are posted at the following link: State School Payments

The April 25, 2024, payments include Direct State Aid, Quality Educator Component, At Risk Component, Indian Education for All, Student Achievement Gap, Data for Achievement, and Special Education.

For any additional questions, please contact Laci Novark (406) 444-4401

LAW BOOKS – AVAILABLE NOW

Districts and schools can order copies here and the electronic version is available for free here.

For any additional questions, please contact opifrontdesk@mt.gov.

IMPORTANT - FY 2024 Preliminary General Fund Budget Data Sheets

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) posted the FY 2025 Preliminary General Fund Budget Data Sheets (PBDS) and the General Fund Budget Excel Spreadsheet on March 1^st. The tools below will assist schools in budgeting for the 2025 fiscal year.

• The Preliminary Budget Data Sheets will be posted at the following link: CLICK HERE

• The FY2025 General Fund Budget Excel Spreadsheet and FY2025 General Fund Budget Overview Worksheet will be posted at the following link:  CLICK HERE

Note: When posted for FY2025, please download the current version of the spreadsheet to your computer (right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As" to save it to your desktop.) Previous versions of the spreadsheet are no longer applicable for preliminary budget purposes.

For any additional questions, please contact Laci Novark at (406) 444-4401, Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960, or Alivia Skeslien-Jenkins at (406) 444-1964.

**ALL TUITION AGREEMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 30, 2024. Put it on your calendar!**

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 time to review their obligations or dispute the status of a student’s resident district.  Reports are available for resident districts in MAEFAIRS that allow districts to monitor obligations.  Additional guidance for tuition is available under Tuition and Attendance on the OPI website.

For more information, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 desk or (406)438-6623 cell or email opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Guidance for Out-of-District Placement (HB 203)

The 2023 Legislature passed HB 203 which revised tuition and respectively the attendance agreements. School Finance has published guidance for Out of District Attendance which is available on the Tuition webpage. Please see “Tuition Guidance for Out-of-District Placement FY2025”. This document will be updated as new information becomes available.

For more information, please contact the OPI by emailing to opischoolfinance@mt.gov  or contact:

• Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 or by email at Mohammadi@mt.gov
• Barbara Quinn at (406) 444-3249 desk or by email at Quinn@mt.gov

Extracurricular Activities Participation – Due Jun 30^th

Students participating in extracurricular activities in the 2023-2024 school year and who meet the requirements of 20-9-311(13), MCA may be included in the district’s FY2025 ANB count.  The students must be enrolled in AIM and have their participating data entered as part of the End of Year collection.  The guide to entering that information in AIM may be found here:  AIM Extracurricular Activities Guide.  Additionally, two documents explaining the 2021 legislative changes in SB 72 and SB 157 may be found here:  Student Count ANB/Guides & Resources.

Questions: For information on Extracurricular Activities Participation, please contact: Andrea Mohammadi, Business Analyst, (406) 444-1960.

Budget Amendments

In accordance with 20-9-162, MCA, budget amendments must be adopted prior to the end of the school fiscal year (June 30^th).  A budget amendment may be adopted only for the purposes outlined in 20-9-161, MCA.  The budget amendment packet may be found here:  Budgets (mt.gov).

Questions: For information on Budget Amendments, please contact:  Laci Novark, Budget Analyst, 406-444-4401 or email OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov 

Isolation Applications – Due Jun 30^th

Schools that need to apply for Isolation, please have applications completed and sent to OPI before June 30^th, 2024. All qualifying districts have been notified by email. If you have any questions, please contact  Alivia Skeslien-Jenkins at (406) 444-1964 or Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 desk or (406)438-6623 cell.

FY2025 County Reporting Forms

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has posted the FY2025 County reporting forms at the following link: County (mt.gov)

• County Treasurer Statement (FP6a)
• FY 2025 Countywide School Funds (FP6b)
• Joint District Basic Data (FP8a)
• Joint District Tax Levy Summary (FP8b)

For any additional questions, please contact Autumn Belmont at (406) 444-9852.

FY 2025 Special Education Cooperative Reports

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has posted the FY 2025 Special Education Allowable Cost Funding Cooperative Preliminary reports at the following link: State School Payments (mt.gov)

For any additional questions, please contact Autumn Belmont at (406) 444-9852.

State School Entitlements

The State School Funding Payments Entitlement for FY 2024 was 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.

ESSA Per Pupil Expenditure Reporting Webinars

To help prepare districts for FY 2025 financial reporting School Finance staff will be presenting live webinars on ESSA Per Pupil Expenditure Reporting.  We will be setting dates for the webinars soon. More information to come.

For more information on ESSA Per Pupil Expenditure Reporting, please contact:  Andrea Mohammadi, Business Analyst 406-444-1960.

 Impact Aid Applications

Amendment deadline!

If you need to make an amendment, the deadline to amend a FY2025 application is June 30, 2024. Please put this date on your calendar. A training video is available on the U.S. Department of Education website located here on the training page.

For more information, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 desk or (406)438-6623 cell or opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

In District Special Education Permissive Tuition Levy

The spreadsheet for FY2025 will be updated and posted to the OPI web page in June. The current calculator for FY2024 is located here:  Tuition and Attendance (mt.gov).

For information on Tuition, please contact Andrea Mohammadi, Business Analyst, (406) 444-1960, or send an email to opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

FY 2024 Elections

The election calendar is available here Election Calendar - 2024 Expanded (mt.gov). Additional guidance is also available at Elections (mt.gov).

• Have you Noticed your election? Election Notices must be posted from March 28 through April 27.
• April 12, 2024, through April 22, 2024 – mail ballots are mailed!
• April 17 absentee ballots are available/
• Wednesday, April 12 – Monday, April 22 – Mail your Mail Ballots. Must be mailed on the same day that was noted in the district's mail ballot plan.
• April 27 through May 5 – Polling Location Accessibility Notice.
• April 27 through May 5 – Publication of Information Concerning Voting Systems.
• May 6 – Deadline for absentee ballot requests
• May 6 – Deliver a certified copy of the lists of registered electors.
• May 7 – ELECTION DAY

If you need more information or immediate assistance, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 (desk), (406)438-6623 (cell), or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

MAPT 2024 Bus Driver Conference

Registration is now open for the 2024 Bus Driver Conference that will be held in Great Falls on June 19-21 at the Heritage Inn, 1700 Fox Farm Road.

CLICK HERE to register for the conference.  NO AT-CONFERENCE​ REGISTRATION WILL BE ALLOWED. CLICK HERE for the conference agenda.

Drivers will have the opportunity to fulfill their mandatory 15 hours of training requirements.

For questions about the conference or assistance with registration, please email MAPT at https://maptwebs.com/

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Registration

A review of the enrollment rate for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH), specific to Montana carriers/entities was recently completed. 

The review showed that more than 45% of the carriers/entities reporting at least one (1) CDL driver had NOT signed up for the DACH as required by 49 CFR 382.711.  The review performed includes school districts.

DACH registration/queries must be done online at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov 

To avoid being in non-compliance, which can result in driver Out of Service, roadside citations, civil penalties, and other impacts to your business operations, please make sure you are using the DACH.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact FMCSA at (406) 449-5304.

FY 2024 Semester 2 Transportation Reimbursement Claims- Due May 24^th (Districts) and June 1st (County)

By May 24th school districts must electronically enter and submit Bus Route Reimbursement Claims (TR6) and Individual Contract Reimbursement Claims (TR5) in the Pupil Transportation Portal.

School districts will receive state and county transportation reimbursement based on actual days for all routes operated for transporting eligible riders from home to school.

(20-10-145, MCA and 10.7.104, ARM). 

NOTE:  If school districts experienced unplanned school closures, or routes were not run anytime within the semester, districts may not claim reimbursement for those days. 

Individual transportation contract claims will be reimbursed for each day of school attendance for the student and for actual miles transported.

Once the school district has entered and submitted reimbursement claims, a signed copy by the board chair must be sent to the county superintendent. 

By June 1st County superintendents must review and electronically approve the TR-5 and TR-6 claims for the second semester.

The state transportation reimbursements for the second semester will be made with the June 2024 payment.

Upon receipt of the electronic state payment notice, the county superintendent orders the disbursement of county reimbursement for second-semester transportation based on state reimbursement.

If you have questions or require assistance entering and submitting the second-semester transportation reimbursement claims, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (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.

Bus Driver Qualifications 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.

For more information, please contact Donell Rosenthal at (406) 461-9316 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

FY2023 Audits of School Districts – Due Dates

FY2023 Yellow Book Audits and Reviews are due no later than June 30^th, 2024, per MCA 2-7-503(3)(a.

For more information on Federal, Yellow Book Audits, and Reviews visit the OPI website Audit Processes. If you have further questions, please contact Whitney Williams at 406-444-3408 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Audit Letter for FY2023 Audits

The annual letter to auditors can be found on the OPI website by clicking this Audit link. The letter provides general information for FY2023 regarding issues affecting Montana school district audits and special items the OPI would like auditors to review for compliance with statute and administrative rules.

For more information, please contact Whitney Williams at 406-444-3408 or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

School Year 2024-2025 Changes

Changes to school names, grade ranges, non-operating, or attach/abandon (closing a district) with an effective date of July 1, 2024:  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.

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 a 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:

• Trustees (required by HB 811).
• Board chair.
• Clerk/business manager.
• Superintendent.
• Principal.

For more information, please contact Amanda Zigan at 406-444-3096, or contact us by email at CentralUpdates@mt.gov.

OPI Application Access Guides for NEW Clerks and Superintendents

The OPI has information for new:

• District Clerks
• District Superintendents
• County Superintendents

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.

Emergency School Closures

School Closures are a local decision based on the needs of the community. Information on Emergency School Closures can be found on the School Finance Webpage. The document is titled “School District Closures – Unforeseen Emergencies.”

It is important to be familiar with the laws, but a couple of important reminders are as follows:

1. Trustees should notify the County Superintendent of Schools and the OPI as soon as a school district closure has been declared.

2. Trustees may close school for one school day each year for unforeseen emergencies that is not subject to a state funding reduction 20-9-806(2), MCA.

3. If a school has an emergency closure for longer than the one-day exception, the Trustees may later adopt a resolution that a reasonable effort has been made to reschedule the pupil-instruction time lost. Not taking this action could result in a reduction to the school District’s BASE aid.

Adherence to the statutes is necessary to prevent the reduction of state entitlement funding for the district.

Please send notice to the OPI at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov or call Amanda Zigan at 406-444-3096 or contact Alivia Skeslien-Jenkins at (406) 444-1964.

School Finance Updates to the OPI Website

Added Montana Code Annotated: School Buses and Transportation-Title 20, Part 1 on the School Finance Pupil Transportation page, on the Resources tab.

Added Administrative Rule: Rule Chapter 10-7, Subchapter 1-Pupil Transportation on the School Finance Pupil Transportation page, on the Resources tab.

Renamed FY 2024 In District Special Education Permissive Levy Calculator to SPED Permissive Tuition Levy Calculator FY 2024 on the School Finance Tuition and Attendance page, on the Calculation Spreadsheets tab.

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.