Montana kids deserve better
A 20-year-old funding formula is forcing Montana’s public schools to cut deeper than ever before—hurting students, families and communities. The challenges are real, but they’re fixable.
Here’s how.
Fix the funding formula.
Strengthen Montana.
1
Modernize funding
Montana’s school funding formula was built for a different time. It caps what schools can receive, even as real costs rise, creating operational
gaps that local districts can’t cover on their own. This isn’t about unlimited spending. It’s about fixing how school funding is calculated, capped, and allocated.
2
Protect opportunity
Most Montana families rely on public schools. When funding
falls behind, schools are forced to cut programs like art, PE, counseling, technical education, the very programs that keep students engaged, supported,
and on track to thrive. These prepare kids for future jobs in AI, tech, and trades.
The formula is failing and the math doesn't add up
Montana’s school funding formula only allows increases of up to 3% per year, regardless of what things actually cost.
​
But real costs like insurance, utilities, transportation, special services, and construction have risen 20–30% per year in many districts.
​
That means every year, schools fall further behind.
Not because of mismanagement, but because the math simply doesn’t work.
When funding falls behind, students fall behind
Schools have cut nearly 30% of non-teaching staff since 2020 — the people who make art, music, tutoring, libraries, and support services possible.
​
Montana has the lowest starting teacher pay in the country, making it harder every year to recruit and keep great educators.
​
Every time a teacher leaves, it costs districts $9,000–$20,000 to replace them — money that never reaches students.
​
When counselors serve 300–400+ students each (60% over recommended case loads), kids with mental health needs go unseen until it becomes a crisis for everyone.
​
These aren’t abstract issues.
They are real consequences that hurt Montana’s kids.