2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 9. Finance › Part 2. Administration of Finances › 20-9-213. Duties of trustees

20-9-213. Duties of trustees.
The trustees of each district have the authority to transact all fiscal business and execute all contracts in the name of the district. A person other than the trustees acting as a governing board may not expend money of the district. In conducting the fiscal business of the district, the trustees shall:
(1) cause the keeping of an accurate, detailed accounting of all receipts and expenditures of school money for each fund and account maintained by the district in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the rules prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. The record of the accounting must be open to public inspection at any meeting of the trustees.
(2) authorize all expenditures of district money and cause warrants or checks, as applicable, to be issued for the payment of lawful obligations;
(3) issue warrants or checks, as applicable, on any budgeted fund in anticipation of budgeted revenue, except that the expenditures may not exceed the amount budgeted for the fund;
(4) invest any money of the district, whenever in the judgment of the trustees the investment would be advantageous to the district, either by directing the county treasurer to invest any money of the district or by directly investing the money of the district in eligible securities, as identified in 7-6-202, in savings or time deposits in a state or national bank, building or loan association, savings and loan association, or credit union insured by the FDIC or NCUA located in the state, or in a repurchase agreement that meets the criteria provided for in 7-6-213. All interest collected on the deposits or investments must be credited to the fund from which the money was withdrawn, except that interest earned on account of the investment of money realized from the sale of bonds must be credited to the debt service fund or the building fund, at the discretion of the board of trustees. The placement of the investment by the county treasurer is not subject to ratable distribution laws and must be done in accordance with the directive from the board of trustees. A district may invest money under the state unified investment program established in Title 17, chapter 6, or in a unified investment program with the county treasurer, with other school districts, or with any other political subdivision if the unified investment program is limited to investments that meet the requirements of this subsection (4), including those investments authorized by the board of investments under Title 17, chapter 6. A school district that enters into a unified investment program with another school district or political subdivision other than the state shall do so under the auspices of and by complying with the provisions governing interlocal cooperative agreements authorized under Title 7, chapter 11, and educational cooperative agreements authorized under Title 20, chapter 9, part 7. A school district either shall contract for investment services with any company complying with the provisions of Title 30, chapter 10, or shall contract with the state board of investments for investment services.
(5) cause the district to record each transaction in the appropriate account before the accounts are closed at the end of the fiscal year in order to properly report the receipt, use, and disposition of all money and property for which the district is accountable;
(6) report annually to the county superintendent, not later than August 15, the financial activities of each fund maintained by the district during the last-completed school fiscal year, on the forms prescribed and furnished by the superintendent of public instruction. Annual fiscal reports for joint school districts must be submitted on or before August 15 to the county superintendent of each county in which part of the joint district is situated.
(7) whenever requested, report any other fiscal activities to the county superintendent, superintendent of public instruction, or board of public education;
(8) cause the accounting records of the district to be audited as required by 2-7-503; and
(9) perform, in the manner permitted by law, other fiscal duties that are in the best interests of the district.
History: En. 75-6806 by Sec. 242, Ch. 5, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 137, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 366, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 304, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 75-6806; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 45, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 421, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 428, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 35, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 1, Sp. L. June 1989; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 11, Sp. L. June 1989; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 489, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 39, Ch. 10, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 18, Ch. 133, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 260, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 406, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 102, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 205, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 152, L. 2011.