2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 9. Finance › Part 3. Funding of Basic System of Quality Public Schools › 20-9-336. School equalization and property tax reduction account -- uses

20-9-336. School equalization and property tax reduction account -- uses.
(1) There is a school equalization and property tax reduction account in the state special revenue fund. Contingent on appropriation by the legislature, money in the account is for distribution to school districts as the second source of funding for state equalization aid as provided in 20-9-343. At fiscal yearend, any fund balance in the account exceeding what was appropriated must be transferred to the guarantee account established in 20-9-622.
(2) The account receives revenue as described in 20-9-331, 20-9-333, and 20-9-360.
(3) Beginning in fiscal year 2025, each December the superintendent of public instruction shall forecast the amount of revenue the account will receive in that fiscal year by dividing the sum of the taxable value of all property in the state reported by the department of revenue pursuant to 20-9-369 by 1,000 to determine a statewide value mill and then multiplying that amount by 95 mills, or the number of mills calculated by the department of revenue under 15-10-420(8) for the applicable fiscal year. If the forecasted amount differs from the amount determined through the same calculation in the prior fiscal year by $2 million or more and is:
(a) less, then the superintendent shall:
(i) decrease the multiplier used to calculate the statewide elementary and high school guaranteed tax base ratios used for funding BASE budgets under 20-9-366 to the nearest whole number determined by the superintendent to result in a decrease in the amount of guaranteed tax base aid distributed to eligible school districts equal to 85% of the decrease in the calculated amount between the 2 years; and
(ii) decrease the multiplier used to calculate the statewide elementary and high school mill value per ANB for school retirement guaranteed tax base purposes under 20-9-366 to the nearest whole number determined by the superintendent to result in a decrease in the amount of retirement guaranteed tax base aid distributed to eligible school districts equal to 15% of the decrease in the calculated amount between the 2 years;
(b) more, then the superintendent shall increase the multipliers used in the guaranteed tax base formulas under 20-9-366 and in the formula for school major maintenance aid under 20-9-525 to the nearest whole number by an amount calculated by the superintendent to result in an increase in the amount of guaranteed tax base aid and school major maintenance aid distributed to eligible counties and school districts equal to 55% of the increase in the calculated amount between the 2 years in the following order, with any amount exceeding the caps under subsections (3)(b)(i) through (3)(b)(iii) flowing to the next mechanism:
(i) first, the multiplier used in calculating the statewide mill value per elementary and high school ANB for retirement purposes, not to exceed 305%;
(ii) second, the multiplier used in calculating the amount of state school major maintenance aid support for each dollar of local effort, not to exceed 365%; and
(iii) third, the multiplier used in calculating the facility guaranteed mill value per ANB for school facility entitlement guaranteed tax base purposes, not to exceed 300%.
(4) (a) The adjustments to the multipliers under subsection (3) are applicable to state equalization aid distributions in the fiscal year following the adjustment.
(b) Adjustments to the multipliers made under subsection (3) remain in effect in subsequent years unless further changed under 20-9-366 or subsection (3) of this section or as otherwise provided by law.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 772, L. 2023.