LEGISLATIVE SNAPSHOT

Education

Montana’s school funding was restructured in Senate Bill 175

Highlights

  • Senate Bill 175 provides an increase in K-12 BASE aid in FY 2014 and 2015. The new money is provided to all school districts through inflationary increases in the per-average number belonging entitlements, a redesign of the basic entitlement, a new Data for Achievement payment, and a new natural resource development K-12 funding payment. The increase in dollars in 2014 from the previous year was $22,300,405.
  • 41% of K-12 students are at schools with enrollments between 250-499.
  • There are 824 public schools with a total enrollment of 144,129 in school year 2013-14.
  • In school year 2013-14, the nonpublic school enrollment was 8,132 in private and 4,694 in home school.
Source

Featured Maps

School Funding

Top 5 State General Fund Revenue Increase from 2013 to 2014 By County

County Dollars Difference
Yellowstone $4,549,142
Gallatin $2,681,240
Missoula $2,060,995
Flathead $1,848,150
Cascade $1,512,027
County Percent Difference
Wibaux 20%
Musselshell 14%
Garfield 12%
Richland 11%
Fallon 9%
Statewide
2013 2014 Dollars Difference Percent Difference
MT $627,412,795 $649,713,200 $22,300,405 3%
Selected Counties
Counties
Source

Schools

Statewide
Number of Schools
MT
Selected Senate/House Districts
All Senate/House Districts
Source

High School Completion Rates

Statewide
School Year Percent
2008-09 82%
2009-10 82%
2010-11 82%
2011-12 84%
2012-13 84%
Source

Homeless Children and Youth Enrolled

Chart
Source

Testing and Achievement Levels

Fourth Graders Who Scored Below Proficient Reading Level by Family Income

Statewide
Family Income Data Type 2009 2011 2013
Eligible for free/reduced school lunch Percent 79% 77% 78%
Not eligible for free/reduced school lunch Percent 56% 55% 54%
Source

Montana Test Scores - Achievement Levels

Statewide
    2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
4th Grade Reading At or above proficient 36% 39% 35% 36% 35%
4th Grade Math At or above proficient 38% 44% 45% 45% 45%
8th Grade Reading At or above proficient 37% 39% 38% 42% 40%
8th Grade Math At or above proficient 36% 38% 44% 46% 40%
Source

ACT 2013 State Percent of High School Graduates Tested, Average Composite Score, and Percent Meeting Benchmarks by Subject

Statewide
Average Composite Score
Rank		 State Percent of Graduates Tested Average Composite Score Percent Meeting English Benchmark Percent Meeting Reading Benchmark Percent Meeting Math Benchmark Percent Meeting Science Benchmark
19 Montana 72 21.3 66 50 49 39
1 Massachusetts 22 24.1 84 66 72 55
18 Nebraska 84 21.5 71 48 46 41
13 Idaho 49 22.1 74 54 52 43
25 North Dakota 98 20.5 61 41 43 35
Source

Page History

View District or County Detail