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School board adopts 2025–26 elementary and high school budgets
Summary
Missoula County Public Schools trustees unanimously approved separate 2025–26 elementary and high school budgets after a presentation on levy, revenue and fund changes, including a new tuition payment requirement created by House Bill 203 and an estimated $50,000 allocation for special‑education tuition for students turning 22.
Missoula County Public Schools trustees voted unanimously to adopt the district—s 2025—6 and 2026 elementary and high school budgets at their Sept. 2 meeting following a presentation by Executive Director of Business and Operations Denise Williams.
Williams told trustees the packet compared 2025 adopted figures with the 2026 projections the board was asked to adopt and explained key drivers: changes to assessed taxable value after recent state legislation, the mix of state and nonlevy revenue, and carryover balances from 2025 that are being reappropriated into the 2026 expenditure budgets.
The budget presentation said taxable value fell for the district despite rising market values because of legislative changes to residential property tax rates. Williams walked trustees through charts showing general fund and total‑fund revenue sources and noted the district had opened a vehicle replacement ("best appreciation") fund and is beginning to levy for it.
Williams said the high school tuition fund shows a $370,000 increase driven by a new payment obligation the district must make under House Bill 203 (2023), which requires districts to pay tuition for resident students who attend schools in other districts. She said many of those payments go to Target Range and Hellgate elementary. Williams also noted the district receives tuition revenue from nonresident students attending MCPS, and that revenue is estimated as part of the general fund and lowers the base levy.
On the question of special‑education students who turn 22, Vice Chair Walker Andrews said the district received OPI guidance that morning. Williams said the district included an estimated $50,000 in the high school tuition fund in case OPI funding is available to help with costs; if not needed the amount would be reappropriated to reduce taxes next year.
Trustees asked clarifying questions about the flexibility fund (transformational learning/advanced opportunities), carryover versus adopted budget authority, interlocal agreement transfers, and how out‑of‑district tuition and jump‑start (early intervention) programs affect counts and funding. Williams said she may return at a later meeting with a proposed transfer from the high school general fund to the interlocal agreement fund; she said any such transfer would not change the levies presented that night.
Motions and outcome: A motion to approve the elementary budget was "Moved by vice chair of Garris, second by Trustee Walsh." The motion passed with all elementary trustees present voting in favor (unanimous). A separate motion to approve the high school budget was "Moved by Trustee Waite, second by trustee of Garris." That motion also passed unanimously.
The board discussion was procedural and technical; there were no public comments during the budget votes.
What the board approved are the adopted expenditure budgets and the levies that partially fund them; the district will proceed under those adopted budgets for 2026.
