Appropriations subcommittee reviews Montana School for the Deaf and Blind budget; members flag vehicle, longevity and lighting items

The Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education held a budget hearing on the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB), where staff presented a $10.4 million biennial request and lawmakers probed several program-level change packages including funding for an administrative assistant, vehicle leases for outreach staff and a longevity pay adjustment.

Alexandra Ghosh, a legislative fiscal analyst with the Legislative Fiscal Division, told the committee MSDB’s requested biennial budget is about $690,000 (3.4%) above the base budget, with the general fund accounting for roughly 95% of funding. She said the school currently has 88.28 budgeted positions and the request includes one new position, and she outlined that federal funds include Medicaid reimbursements, approximately $240,000 in EHA Part B funding and roughly $105,000 in ECIA/Chapter 1 funds.

The budget review identified several decision packages that drew the most attention. The administration proposal (DP 9) requests funding for one full-time administrative assistant (about $54,000 in fiscal 2026 and $52,000 in fiscal 2027) to split time between the business office and outreach recordkeeping. The education program included DP 5, a roughly $44,000-per-year request to cover additional motor pool vehicles for outreach staff and a transition coordinator. DP 15 proposes longevity-pay adjustments (approximately…