House Bill No. [insert bill number] 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 district special education programs. The bill introduces provisions that allow these preschool-aged children to be considered pupils under exceptional circumstances, enabling school districts to receive state financial support for their education. It specifically modifies existing laws to allow trustees to admit children beyond the typical age range of 5 to 19, thereby promoting inclusivity in educational access.

Key amendments to Sections 20-5-101 and 20-9-311 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) include the deletion of the prohibition against counting preschool pupils in ANB counts for discretionary preschool programs, while inserting language that permits counting preschool children with disabilities receiving special education services based on their aggregate hours of instruction. Additionally, the bill outlines new methods for calculating the maximum general fund budget and BASE budget for K-12 districts, requiring separate calculations for elementary and high school programs. The bill establishes an effective date of July 1, 2025, for these changes, ensuring that the new definitions and calculations will be applied in future school fiscal years.

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(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