Appropriations subcommittee reviews Montana School for the Deaf and Blind budget, hears requests for staff, vehicles and interpreter training

The Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education held a budget hearing on the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind (MSDB), reviewing a request that relies mainly on the general fund and includes proposals for a new administrative assistant, longevity pay, additional motor-pool vehicles for outreach staff and funding for interpreter training.

The budget analyst told the committee the school currently has 88.28 budgeted positions and is requesting one additional full-time equivalent. The executive request would increase general fund support about 3.7%, adding roughly $713,000 across the 2027 biennium; the general fund is the primary source of funding, accounting for about 97% of the request in each fiscal year. Federal special revenues (including Medicaid reimbursements and National School Lunch Program subsidies) and state special revenues (school trust income) make up only small shares of the budget.

Why it matters: MSDB provides specialized instruction on its Great Falls campus and statewide outreach services for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired. The committee's decisions affect staffing, outreach travel capacity and pay practices that committee members and MSDB officials said influence recruitment and retention.

Budget highlights and new proposals - Administration: The school seeks funding for a new administrative assistant to split time between the business office and outreach recordkeeping (DP 9), budgeted at about $54,000 in fiscal 2026 and $52,000 in fiscal 2027. The…