2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 9. Finance › Part 4. School Bonds › 20-9-412. Issuance of refunding bonds without election

20-9-412. Issuance of refunding bonds without election.
(1) Bonds of a school district issued for the purpose of providing the money needed to redeem outstanding bonds may be issued without submitting the proposition to the electorate at an election. In order to issue refunding bonds, the trustees, at a regular meeting or a special meeting, shall adopt a resolution setting forth:
(a) the facts regarding the outstanding bonds that are to be redeemed;
(b) the reasons for issuing new bonds; and
(c) the term and details of the new bond issue.
(2) After the adoption of the resolution, the trustees shall:
(a) sell the bonds at a private negotiated sale; or
(b) at their option, give notice of the sale of the new bonds in the same manner that notice is required to be given for the sale of bonds authorized at a school election and sell the new bonds in open competitive bidding, by written bids or by sealed bids.
(3) Except for bonds refunded by a school district under the provisions of Title 17, chapter 5, part 16, including any variable rate finance program that is authorized, bonds may not be refunded by the issuance of new bonds unless the rate of interest offered on the new bonds is at least 1/2 of 1% a year less than the rate of interest in the bonds to be refunded or redeemed.
(4) If a refunding bond issue refunds only a portion of an outstanding bond issue, the unrefunded portion of the outstanding bond issue and the refunding bond issue must be treated as a single bond issue for the purposes of 20-9-408.
(5) Refunding bonds may be issued in a principal amount greater than the principal amount of the outstanding bonds if there is a reduction of total debt service cost to the district.
(6) (a) Refunding bonds issued pursuant to this section may be issued to refund outstanding bonds in advance of the date on which the bonds mature or are subject to redemption, provided that the proceeds of the refunding bonds, less any accrued interest or premium received upon the sale of the bonds, are deposited with other funds appropriated to the payment of the outstanding bonds in escrow with a suitable banking institution in or outside of the state.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (6)(c), funds deposited must be invested in securities that are general obligations of the United States or the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by the United States and that mature or are callable at the option of the holder on the dates and bear interest at the rates and are payable on the dates that are required to provide funds sufficient, with any cash retained in the escrow account, to pay when due the interest to accrue on each bond being refunded to its maturity or redemption date, if called for redemption, to pay the principal of the bond at maturity or upon the redemption date, and to pay any redemption premium.
(c) If the funds initially deposited in escrow are sufficient, without regard to any investment income on those funds, to redeem in full the bonds being refunded as of their redemption date and to pay the principal of and interest and premium on the bonds being refunded at their stated maturities, the funds may be invested in the securities described in subsection (6)(b) or in a money market fund that is composed exclusively of eligible securities described in 7-6-202 and that otherwise satisfies the requirements of 7-6-202(4).
(d) The escrow account must be irrevocably appropriated to the payment of the principal of and interest and redemption premium on the bonds being refunded. Funds in the debt service fund for the payment of the bonds being refunded and not required for the payment of principal of or interest on the bonds being refunded due prior to issuance of the refunding bonds may be appropriated by the district to the escrow account. The school district may pay the reasonable costs and expenses of printing the refunding bonds and of establishing and maintaining the escrow account. Bonds that are refunded pursuant to this part are not to be considered outstanding for purposes of 20-9-406 or any other debt limitation.
History: En. 75-7109 by Sec. 310, Ch. 5, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 75-7109; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 647, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 158, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 41, Ch. 423, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 277, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 182, L. 2023.