School Finance January 2026 Current

Upcoming Due Dates

State School Payments

The FY2026 December State School payments are posted at the following link: State School Payments. 

The FY2026 January State School Payments are scheduled for distribution on January 27, 2026.

The January payments will include Direct State Aid, Significant Enrollment Increase, Quality Educator Component, At Risk Component, Indian Education for All, Student Achievement Gap, Data for Achievement, Special Education and Indian Language Immersion Payment.

For more information, please contact Cori Opie at (406) 444-3533.

State School Entitlements

The State School Funding Entitlement Reports for FY2026 are posted at the following link:

State School Payments-Entitlements

For more information, please contact: Cori Opie at (406) 444-3533.

Impact Aid Applications

The Impact Aid section 7002 and section 7003 applications for Fiscal Year 2027 are now available online in the Impact Aid Grant System (IAGS). The application submission deadline for the Section 7002 and Section 7003 applications is 2/2/2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. We urge you to begin working on your application well before the deadline. Do not wait until the last minute. -Section 7002 applicants receive grant funds based on the number of eligible Federal acres within their school district boundaries. -Section 7003 applicants receive grant funds based on the number of Federally connected children they educate. -Local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving funds under both sections of the law must complete and submit both applications. Log in to the Impact Aid Grant System to start your application. You will need an identity-verified account with Login.gov to access the IAGS. Create your Login.gov account today if you do not have one, because if you need to verify your identity through an alternate method (through mail or via the post office), that alone can take 5-7 business days. Late applications will incur a 10% payment penalty and experiencing a problem with Login.gov identity verification is not a valid excuse for submitting a late application. Please review Instructions for setting up a Login.gov account to access the IAGS Once you are logged in, you will find the link to start your application on the IAGS Home page. Any user with application editor privileges can start and edit the application and then submit it forward to those with signature privileges. Signatories will receive a task in the IAGS to review the application and assurances and submit. The application is not complete until the signature task is submitted. We have a number of helpful tools available on our IAGS Training and Resources pages to help you submit your application. In particular, please review the Section 7002 Application Instructions [impactaid.ed.gov] and Section 7003 Application Instructions. If you need a refresher on IAGS account set up and how to complete an application, see the slide deck, A Guide to Submitting a 7003 Application in the IAGS. If you have not logged in to the Impact Aid Grant System within the last 120 days, your system account is deactivated. You can request that the system administrator reactivate your account by entering your email address in the green box on Get Help. Each year, some applicants wait until the last minute and find that they can't log in due to a deactivated account. Applications submitted after the deadline, but before 4/3/2026 incur a 10 percent payment reduction penalty. Don't let this happen to you!

OPI will notify each district when the data is available that is needed to complete applications. The Impact Aid Data Sheets will be available on the OPI website after December 10, 2025. Please follow this link School Finance- Impact Aid and select the blue button Data Sheets 2027.

If you have questions, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960, or contact us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Compensation Expenditure Reporting and Terms Of Employment – PAST DUE

Compensation Expenditure reports should have been submitted by December 10^th. Data can be entered starting when MAEFAIRS opens and may be advantageous to complete at the same time as the Infinite Campus reporting in October. If you have not completed this report please contact Andrea Mohammadi at Andrea.Mohammadi@mt.gov or 406-444-1960 for assistance.

Compensation Expenditure Reporting collects data used to determine each district’s payment information pertaining to salaries paid to district employees each fiscal year. Compensation Expenditure Reporting is a multi-step process of entering and certifying data in Infinite Campus and then submitting the data in MAEFAIRS. The process is to assist schools with their responsibility to be transparent with the use of public funds in accordance with section 20-7-104, MCA.

End of Year Personnel Collection: Infinite Campus Reporting – Due June 30^th

The End of Year Personnel (Compensation Expenditure) Collection replaces the Compensation Expenditure Terms of Employment (TOE) in AIM. All district staff employed from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, must be included in this collection of data and be certified through entry into Infinite Campus. Only employees certified through Infinite Campus will be available for selection in the MAEFAIRS Compensation Expenditure Report submission. Districts are required to enter all staff employed in the 2024-2025 school year into Infinite Campus by June 30, 2025, to finalize the 2025 fiscal year end process. If you do not have access to Infinite Campus or are having troubles logging in, please contact opiaimhelp@mt.gov. 

If you have questions, please contact Andrea Mohammadi at (406) 444-1960 .

Active Expenditure String Tool

A spreadsheet of active expenditure strings is available on the School Finance website. All open MAEFAIRS expenditure strings that have been used since 2017 are available for review. Expenditure strings can be filtered or enter your string to determine if the coding string is valid.

For more information, please contact School Finance at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.

Tuition Forms for All Students and Foster-Group Home Students Completed and Entered to MAEFAIRS

Student Attendance Agreements must be completed at the time of a student’s enrollment in a school, as outlined in Section 20-5-320, MCA. For students placed in foster or group homes outside their resident district, it is essential that they are entered into the MAEFAIRS system promptly following approval by the attending district. This process ensures that resident districts can review their financial obligations or confirm their status as the resident district.

Payments for out of district students and students in foster or group homes are due in the following school year. To facilitate timely processing, please make sure to enter these agreements without delay and regularly run the relevant MAEFAIRS reports for resident districts. Forms required for this process are available on the Tuition and Attendance page of the School Finance website.

For more information, please contact Andrea.Mohammadi@mt.gov or call (406) 444-1960.

Spring Student Count - February 2, 2026

The official spring count day is Monday, February 2, 2026.   You may import data once Aggregate Hours are entered in Infinite Campus, however you will not be able to submit to OPI until February 3, 2026.  You may import as many times as necessary before submitting your final data.  Student Count for ANB reports must be submitted to the MAEFAIRS system no later than February 12, 2026.

For more information, please contact Andrea Mohammadi, 406-444-1960 or email us at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Funding for Significant Enrollment Increases

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is providing this notice of HB 36 (2023 Legislative session) that revises the funding for significant enrollment increases. HB 36 modifies section 20-9-166, MCA, to allow significant enrollment increase (SEI) payments as described below. It also repeals 20-9-314, MCA, which provided procedures for determining eligibility and the amount of increased average number belonging (ANB) due to unusual enrollment increase.

The SEI Calculation worksheet can be found on the School Finance website under State School Payments>Entitlements 

In general, the SEI payment eligibility process is described in the bill as follows:

• School districts that experience an enrollment increase based on the October enrollment count in the current year converted to ANB must be greater than the budget limitation ANB for the fiscal year three years prior by 110%.
• The SEI payment is described in HB 36 as an amount that is the difference between 80% of the district’s total per-ANB entitlement for that fiscal year using the most current October enrollment count minus the “absorption factor”, and 80% of the district’s initial per-ANB entitlement for that fiscal year.
• The absorption factor is defined as an ANB amount rounded to the nearest whole number equal to the sum of five ANB plus 3% of the district’s budget limit ANB for that fiscal year.

The timeline for the SEI payment is as follows:

• By December 1^st each year following the October enrollment count, the OPI must determine the school districts that qualify for a SEI payment.
• By December 15^th of each year, the OPI must notify schools of their eligibility for a SEI payment.
• No later than March 1^st, the trustees of a SEI payment qualifying district are to notice OPI of acceptance of all or partial amount of the allowable SEI payment. This is done by passing a general fund budget amendment.
• As soon as passed, the school district general fund budget amendment must be provided to the OPI.
• Upon successful completion of the budget amendment process, the OPI will begin distribution of the SEI payments using appropriation authority from the BASE aid appropriation in HB 2. This payment will be distributed to schools by the OPI in the following months along with the direct state aid payment.
• With the regularly scheduled June payment, all distributions of the SEI payment will be complete for the fiscal year.

The Budget Amendment Packet is located on our website to help you with your budget amendment timelines and requirements.

Fore more information, please call Autumn Warren at 406-444-9852 or email us at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov

Bus Driver Background Checks

Per HB 745, all current and new school bus drivers who will have contact with students are required to complete a fingerprint-based background check. This applies to any transportation staff who may be alone with, or responsible for, students during routes and activity trips. This requirement is intended to help protect students and reduce potential liability for districts.

For more information, please contact Elsie Workman at (406) 444-2463.

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 ARM 10.64.201. Driving Records information can be requested through the Montana Department of Justice.

For more information, please contact Elsie Workman at (406) 444-2463.

Passenger Vehicles-Vans

A district may use an 8-15 passenger vehicle/van only for school-sponsored functions or activities.

A district may not use a passenger vehicle for purposes of transporting students to or from school on a regular bus route. 20-10-129, MCA.

Passenger vehicles owned by the district is not eligible to be included in the calculations for the Bus Depreciation Reserve fund under 20-10-147, MCA. In addition, these vehicle types are not an allowable purchase from the Transportation Fund.

A “School Bus” pursuant to 20-10-101(5), MCA,  are the only allowable form of transportation that may be used when transporting students to and from school.    Other vehicles that do not meet the definition of a “School Bus” will not be reimbursed by the state or county.

For more information, please contact Elsie Workman at (406) 444-2463.

Bus Driver Certificate TR-35

All school bus drivers must hold a valid Montana School Bus Driver Certificate (TR35) for a district 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 contract, 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 Elsie Workman at (406) 444-2463.

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 on pages 61-62 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 Elsie Workman at (406) 444-2463

Type E School Bus Requirements

Before a type E school bus is purchased, the school is required 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. MCA 20-10-148

The analysis must detail the costs associated with purchase and operation of the school bus compared to the costs associated with purchase or contract and operation of a school bus designed to carry more than 10 passengers. The overall purpose of the cost analysis is to demonstrate that the purchase and operation of a school bus as defined in 20-10-101(4)(a)(ii) is the most cost-effective means of transporting eligible transportees on the bus route(s). Type E buses are required to have an overall safety rating of 5 Stars as per NHTSA. These results must also be on file for review.

For more information, please contact Elsie Workman at (406) 444-2463

2025 School Bus Standards Revision Committee

The Montana Office of Public Instruction is seeking interested individuals to serve on the school transportation committee revising Montana’s School Bus Standards. This effort will help ensure the standards remain current and effective.

If you are interested in participating, please email elsie.workman@mt.gov

In District Special Education Permissive Tuition Levy

The Special Education Permissive Tuition Levy spreadsheet for FY2026 has been posted to the OPI Webpage at the following location: Tuition and Attendance.

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

School Year 2025-2026 Changes

Changes to school names, grade ranges, non-operating, or attach/abandon (closing a district) with an effective date of July 1, 2025:  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.

Elections

2026 OPI Election Calendar Availability

The OPI has posted the election calendar for the 2026 fiscal year. The most recent version is now available on the OPI website, providing important dates and deadlines for school district elections. Calendars can be accessed through the Elections section of the website.

If your district is planning to conduct a special election, personalized assistance is available. Please reach out to Andrea Mohammadi, who can help you develop a custom election calendar tailored to your specific needs.

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

Audit - School District Compliance Supplement

The 2025 Compliance Supplement is now available on the LGSB website. The changes from the 2023 and 2025 legislative sessions have been highlighted for ease of identifying the updates. We have a link on our School Finance Auditing tab that links to the Past and Current School District Compliance Supplements.

For more information, please contact Amanda Zigan at (406) 444-3583 or email us at OPIAuditReports@mt.gov.

Audit Letter for FY-2025

The annual letter to auditors can be found on the OPI Website. The letter provides general information for the fiscal year 2025 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 Amanda Zigan (406) 444-3583 or email us at OPIAuditReports@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:

• Trustees should notify the County Superintendent of Schools and the OPI as soon as a school district closure has been declared.
• 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.
• 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 reduction of state entitlement funding for the district.

Please sent notice to the OPI at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov or call Amanda Zigan at (406) 444-3096.

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 Authorized Representative 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.

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:

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

For more information, please 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 us by email at opischoolfinance@mt.gov.

Sending Confidential Information

When sending confidential information to the OPI, the best method is to use the Montana File Transfer Service (FTS).  You can find the link to the Montana FTS on the School Finance home page, however, there are two requirements for the use of the Montana FTS:

• The recipient must be a state employee.
• The file must be sent to an individual (not a group email).

Regular email is not a safe or recommended communication method when sending confidential or personally identifiable information.

For more information, please email us at OPISchoolFinance@mt.gov.

OPI Compass Webpage

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.