House Bill No. HB 168 seeks to amend Montana's school funding laws by including 3-year-old and 4-year-old children with disabilities in the Average Number Belonging (ANB) calculations for school funding. This change allows preschool-aged children participating in special education programs to be counted as pupils, which is expected to increase financial support for school districts serving these children. The bill also reclassifies preschool children with disabilities as exceptional circumstances, enabling school trustees to admit them outside the typical age range of 5 to 19 years.

Key amendments in the bill include the addition of language that allows the inclusion of preschool children with disabilities in ANB calculations based on the aggregate hours of pupil instruction. It clarifies that only those receiving special education services are eligible for inclusion, while preschool pupils in programs created at the discretion of trustees are not. Furthermore, the bill outlines that for K-12 districts established for three years or more, the maximum general fund budget and BASE budget for the upcoming school fiscal year must be calculated separately for elementary and high school programs. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to enrollment counts and ANB calculations for school fiscal years beginning on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 20-9-311
HB0168_1(1): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(10): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(11): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(12): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(13): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(2): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(3): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(4): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(5): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(6): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(7): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(8): 20-9-311
HB0168_1(9): 20-9-311
HB0168_1: 20-9-311
HB0168_2(1): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(10): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(11): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(2): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(3): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(4): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_2(5): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(6): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(7): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(8): 20-9-311
HB0168_2(9): 20-9-311
HB0168_2: 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(1): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(2): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(3): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(4): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(5): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(6): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(7): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(8): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X(9): 20-5-101, 20-9-311
HB0168_X: 20-5-101, 20-9-311