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.
Together we can fix it. And here's how.
Fix the funding formula.
Strengthen Montana.
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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.
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Protect opportunity
Most Montana families rely on public schools. When funding falls behind, schools are forced to cut programs like art, PE, counseling, and technical education — the very programs that keep students engaged, supported, and on track to thrive. These prepare kids for future jobs in agriculture, tech, and trades.
Montanans have real questions.
Here are real answers.
Property taxes keep rising. Schools keep cutting programs. Those two things feel like a contradiction. They aren’t.
And the explanation matters.
These aren’t trick questions. They’re what any reasonable Montanan should be asking. The answers point to a structural problem that is well-documented, well-understood by lawmakers, and fixable. The School Funding Interim Commission (SFIC) is studying exactly these issues right now, with public meetings open to every Montanan
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, even as real costs like insurance, utilities, transportation, and special services rise much faster. This cap is unrelated to soaring property taxes. Many Montanans are paying more in property taxes than ever before, but because of this cap, and the formula that governs how schools actually get operating funds, paying more doesn't mean schools get more. In many cases, they get less.
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
Budget shortfalls are eliminating the people who make learning possible. Across Montana, districts have cut or eliminated counselors, librarians, art teachers, tutors, and support staff — the roles that keep students engaged, supported, and on track.
Montana's starting teacher pay ranks near the bottom nationally. Every time a teacher leaves, it costs districts up to $20,000 to replace them — money that never reaches students. Montana lost 2,039 educators to attrition in a single year (2021–22), and nearly 9 in 10 schools experienced turnover.
Montana's state-mandated counselor ratio caps at 400 students per counselor — 60% above the national recommendation of 250:1. When counselors are stretched that thin, kids with mental health needs go unseen until it becomes a crisis for everyone.
Modernization can prioritize future-ready skills like digital literacy and CTE, ensuring student success. These aren’t abstract issues.
They are real consequences that hurt Montana’s kids.
Now is the time for change
Montana's school funding formula isn't set in stone. By law, every ten years, lawmakers must meet and assess how well it's working. That work is happening right now. The School Funding Interim Commission has been meeting since June of 2025 to study school funding - and make recommendations for changes. Those recommendations will come before the 2027 Legislature next January, but you can be involved right now.
All meetings and reports are public. Lawmakers want and need your input.
Strong schools build strong communities
Montana’s public schools shape our workforce, our economy, and our hometowns:
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Schools are major employers in rural Montana
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Strong schools stabilize property values
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Career and technical programs support local trades and small businesses
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Families shoulder higher childcare costs when schools are forced to cut programs and shorten the day
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Communities with strong schools keep and attract families and businesses
Montana businesses agree: Efficient funding reforms boost economies.
Every Montanan — with or without kids — is impacted by the strength of our public schools.
Montana’s kids need you
Your voice matters. Your story matters. Your involvement matters.
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Share your story
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Become an advocate
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Learn how the formula works
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Talk to your local leaders
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Support the School Funding Interim Commission (SFIC) recommendations for modernization
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Help update Montana’s education funding for the next generation
