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Bill Would Reconstitute School Funding Study Commission, Add Constitutional Officers and Create Working Group
Summary
Representative Beatty’s House Bill 153 would redefine membership of the mandatory decennial school funding study commission to include constitutional education officers and add a working group to benchmark innovative practices; proponents including the governor’s education adviser and education coalitions supported clearer deadlines and broader
Representative David Beatty told the committee House Bill 153 would prepare Montana for the upcoming decennial study of the school funding formula required by MCA 20‑9‑309. The bill would expand and clarify commission membership to include constitutional education officers and key stakeholders, set appointment deadlines to stand up the commission promptly after session, and create an Innovation/Excellence in Education working group to conduct benchmarking and support the commission’s work.
Dylan Klapmeier, the governor’s education policy adviser, testified the governor supported HB 153 and emphasized that including constitutional education officers and a clear objective to study innovative practices can accelerate productive work after the session ends.
Doug Reisig, executive director of the Montana Quality Education Coalition, said the bill ‘‘represents a comprehensive approach’’ and praised the addition of a stakeholder working group that can develop recommendations and an implementation plan. Gary Lussane, a Bozeman school trustee and long‑time education volunteer, described stakeholder engagement work he facilitated and urged support for a broad, well‑facilitated study that looks beyond narrow funding line items to how the system should be structured to meet contemporary educational goals.
Sponsor and witnesses discussed logistics: the bill includes modest operating funding for the working group and sets a goal for commission membership to be appointed during the 2025 session so administrative setup can occur quickly. Committee members asked about public membership slots and facilitation; the sponsor said the commission will include specified legislative members and that the working group would enable broader stakeholder input. Several witnesses urged strong facilitation and early startup to make the decennial study useful.
No opponents were recorded in the supplied transcript. The hearing closed with proponents urging timely appointment and adequate resources; no committee vote is recorded in the provided transcript.
