Thursday marked the end of a 15-month commission on Montana’s public schools budget. The group will hand their recommendations to lawmakers ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
From special education programs to building renovations, commissioners approved a package of recommendations they believe will help patch holes in Montana’s public education system; chief of which is a plan to simplify the schools budget.
But Hamilton Republican Rep. David Bedey, who chairs the commission, said it might not be enough.
“I think we probably have consensus that we need to completely overhaul the funding formula,” he said.
Bedey said reworking the formula would take serious time and energy, but this plan, which he called a “patchwork,” is the commission’s best option for now.
Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction agrees. Susie Hedalen said the funding system is very complicated. She would also like to see a complete overhaul, “so that our instructional leaders and our educators can focus on educating students, talking to families, parents, community members, rather than filling out paperwork.”
The commission also approved 10 bill drafts that, if passed, would rework the funding models for programs like special education, Indian Education For All, at-risk students and building renovations.
Legislators will review the recommendations when the 2027 Legislative Session convenes in January.
