Bill's impact on schools needs to be solved

Editor,

Nearly all school districts will increase the number of mills they levy in the BASE portion of their general fund budgets in FY 2018. This is due to the elimination of the general fund block grants and the NRD payment enacted by the 2017 Legislature by passing House Bill 647. The removal of these two sources of nonlevy revenue will leave a greater hole to fill in general fund budgets that is statutorily filled by state Guaranteed Tax Base aid for eligible districts and local property taxes.

We often speak of mills as being either voted or permissive — nonvoted — but BASE mills are really required

mills in our formula that school district trustees have no discretion over. Starting in 2019, the state will contribute more in GTB aid which for GTB-eligible districts will bring these BASE mills back down somewhat. However, the amount will vary district to district. Smaller communities, including nearly all school districts across the Hi-Line, will disproportionately be impacted by a raise in permissive mills.

There is a legitimate question of whether our revised funding model is equitable. One senator from Missoula commented at the last Education Interim Committee meeting that the purpose of HB 647 was to force small schools to consolidate — which would be devastating for rural Montana. Unfortunately, the conversation of consolidation never came up during the original hearings on the House and Senate floors. We will be looking to work collaboratively over the interim and in the 2019 Legislative Session for solutions to HB 647.

Sincerely,

Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre

House District 28

Rep. Jim O’Hara, R-Fort Benton

House District 27

Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester

Senate District 14