Havre Public Schools invites tax- deductible donations

Havre Public Schools is inviting people to help out special programs at the Havre Schools, and get some tax credits at the same time.

Montana law allows people and corporations to donate up to their full income, with a maximum of $200,000 if their income exceeds that, to support innovative educational programs at the school district of their choice. The donations are tax-deductible.

Starting Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m., districts may start entering the promised donations into an online portal at Montana Department of Revenue for pre-approval, with a maximum statewide of $6 million. Once the $6 million is reached no more will be approved, and each district has a maximum as well and no more will be approved for a district once the max is hit.

Havre Public Schools has a maximum of $1.2 million for its elementary district and $745,000 for its high school district.

The entries are on a first-come, first-served basis, so the donations need to be pledged as early as possible.

To get a form to pledge a donation, people can download and print the form for Havre Public Schools at https://mtrevenue.gov/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/11/QETC-Guide-2024-final.pdf or https://bit.ly/404LAUC , or by calling Robins School Administration Building at 406-395-8550 or emailing Havre Schools Business Manager Moses Deanon at [email protected] .

People are asked to fill out the form and deliver them and a check for the donation — the school district does not accept credit card payments — to the Robins School Administration Building at 425 Sixth St., Havre, MT 5950, Attention: Moses Deacon.

A release from the school said it is important that it receives the information as soon as possible to make sure it has all the information needed to submit the donation.

Once entered into the portal, if the donation is entered before the $6 million in aggregate funds has been allocated, the donation will be pre-approved by the state. Upon pre-approval, the tax credit is reserved for the taxpayer’s use on their Montana tax return, and they will receive a tax donation receipt.

If all statewide aggregate funds have already been allocated upon entry of the donation, the donation will not be approved, and the taxpayer will need to wait until the following year to make their donation.If their donation is not approved by the Montana Department of Revenue, it will be returned, if the donator so chooses.

The district release said the donation can be used for Innovative Educational Programs within the Havre district. An Innovative Educational Program (IEC) is an advanced academic program that enhances the curriculum or academic program of an eligible public school and that is not part of the regular academic program of an eligible public school.

The instruction, program, or other activities offered through an IEC can include any of the following:

• Transformational learning.

• Advanced opportunity.

• Any program, service, instructional methodology, or adaptive equipment used to expand opportunity for a child with a disability.

• Any courses provided through work-based learning partnerships or for postsecondary credit or career certification.

• Technology enhancements.

• Capital improvements and equipment necessary to support innovative educational programs.

The donor can request their donation be targeted either to the elementary or the high school district, but the district cannot say what precise program it would go to. The amount of total donations will be needed to be assessed before the funding can be allocated.

The funding will not go into general education programs or the district’s general fund.

For more information, people can contact contact Deanon at 406-395-8550, Ext 6713 or

[email protected] or the Montana Department of Revenue at 406-444-6900.

More information also is available at the Department of Revenue’s website at https://mtrevenue.gov/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/11/QETC-Guide-2024-final.pdf .