Superintendent's Report

By Broadus Schools Superintendent Jim Hansen

3-9-2020

Great news-your high school received a substantial grant from the Montana Department of Commerce for $750,000 to install a new roof membrane. Taxpayers approved a levy in 1992 to install the current membrane which has exceeded its lifespan of 20 years. This grant will allow the district to install additional insulation on the roof and the entire project will be completed without a local bond or levy. We are extremely fortunate as most other school districts would have required a special levy to complete this project. Your school district has been preparing to replace the roof membrane for several years by allocating revenue from Belle Creek in the building reserve fund. The project is currently out for bid and should be completed this summer at an approximate price tag of 1.2 million.

On the other hand, your school board will be considering this month whether to run a general fund mill levy in the elementary and high school district. Your general fund provides the majority of the district’s operational expenses. Due to declining enrollment, the State contribution decreases requiring the district to increase their share to operate at the same budget. Remember, school financing is a shared responsibility between the State and local school districts. If your district desires to operate at the same budget, local patrons are forced to make-up the difference. The mathematics of the State’s funding formula is beyond the scope of this article, however, readers must understand any levy that may be need to be run will only allow the district to operate at basically the same budget as the 2019-20 school year.

Many other school districts have passed additional levies for building maintenance, or they have assessed mills permissively to their taxpayers. We have done neither. As discussed at our last board meeting, trustees are entrusted to adequately fund the District’s general fund and to operate within that budget.