Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 20. EDUCATION

CHAPTER 9. FINANCE

Part 3. Funding of Basic System of Quality Public Schools

Definitions

20-9-366. Definitions. Subject to adjustments pursuant to 20-9-336, as used in 20-9-366 through 20-9-371, the following definitions apply:

(1) "County retirement mill value per elementary ANB" or "county retirement mill value per high school ANB" means the sum of the taxable valuation in the previous year of all property in the county divided by 1,000, with the quotient divided by the total county elementary ANB count or the total county high school ANB count used to calculate the elementary school districts' and high school districts' prior year total per-ANB entitlement amounts.

(2) (a) "District guaranteed tax base ratio" for guaranteed tax base funding for the BASE budget of an eligible district means the taxable valuation in the previous year of all property in the district, except for property value disregarded because of protested taxes under 15-1-409(2) or property subject to the creation of a new school district under 20-6-326, divided by the district's prior year GTBA budget area.

(b) "District mill value per ANB", for school facility entitlement purposes, means the taxable valuation in the previous year of all property in the district, except for property subject to the creation of a new school district under 20-6-326, divided by 1,000, with the quotient divided by the ANB count of the district used to calculate the district's prior year total per-ANB entitlement amount.

(3) "Facility guaranteed mill value per ANB", for school facility entitlement guaranteed tax base purposes, means, subject to adjustment under 20-9-336, the sum of the taxable valuation in the previous year of all property in the state, multiplied by 140% and divided by 1,000, with the quotient divided by the total state elementary ANB count or the total state high school ANB count used to calculate the elementary school districts' and high school districts' prior year total per-ANB entitlement amounts.

(4) "Guaranteed tax base aid budget area" or "GTBA budget area" means the portion of a district's BASE budget after the following payments are subtracted:

(a) direct state aid;

(b) the total data-for-achievement payment;

(c) the total quality educator payment;

(d) the total at-risk student payment;

(e) the total Indian education for all payment;

(f) the total American Indian achievement gap payment; and

(g) the state special education allowable cost payment.

(5) (a) "Statewide elementary guaranteed tax base ratio" or "statewide high school guaranteed tax base ratio", for guaranteed tax base funding for the BASE budget of an eligible district, means, subject to adjustment under 20-9-336, the sum of the taxable valuation in the previous year of all property in the state, multiplied by 254% for fiscal year 2024 and by 259% for fiscal year 2025 and each succeeding fiscal year and divided by the prior year statewide GTBA budget area for the state elementary school districts or the state high school districts. For fiscal year 2024 and subsequent fiscal years, the superintendent of public instruction shall increase the multiplier, not to exceed 262%, in this subsection (5)(a) as follows:

(i) for fiscal years 2024 through 2031, if the revenue transferred to the state general fund pursuant to 16-12-111 in the prior fiscal year is at least $1 million more than the revenue transferred in the fiscal year 2 years prior, then:

(A) multiply the amount of increased revenue transferred to the state general fund pursuant to 16-12-111 in the prior fiscal year above the amount of revenue transferred in the fiscal year 2 years prior by 0.25, divide the resulting product by $500,000, and round to the nearest whole number; and

(B) add the number derived in subsection (5)(a)(i)(A) as a percentage point increase to the multiplier used for the prior fiscal year;

(ii) for fiscal years 2024 through 2031, if the revenue transferred to the state general fund pursuant to 16-12-111 in the prior fiscal year is less than $1 million more than the revenue transferred in the fiscal year 2 years prior, then the multiplier is equal to the multiplier used for the prior fiscal year;

(iii) for fiscal years 2032 and subsequent fiscal years, the multiplier is equal to the multiplier used for fiscal year 2031; and

(iv) for all multiplier increases under this subsection (5)(a), the calculations are made in the year prior to the year in which the increase to the multiplier takes effect and impacts distribution of guaranteed tax base aid.

(b) "Statewide mill value per elementary ANB" or "statewide mill value per high school ANB", for school retirement guaranteed tax base purposes, means, subject to adjustment under 20-9-336, the sum of the taxable valuation in the previous year of all property in the state, multiplied by 189% and divided by 1,000, with the quotient divided by the total state elementary ANB count or the total state high school ANB amount used to calculate the elementary school districts' and high school districts' prior year total per-ANB entitlement amounts.

History: En. Sec. 60, Ch. 11, Sp. L. June 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 3, Sp. L. May 1990; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 711, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 790, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 30, Ch. 633, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 211, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 550, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 462, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 194, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 19, Ch. 1, Sp. L. May 2007; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 261, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 8, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 336, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 560, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 745, L. 2023.