Board calls May 6 elections, approves placeholders for general-fund and safety levies

The Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees approved resolutions calling for the May 6 school election to fill trustee seats and to place placeholders for proposed general-fund and safety levies, while trustees debated possible state and federal funding changes.

Pat, a district elections and budget staff member, told the board the deadline for candidate- and election-related actions falls in early April and that the board must approve the "call" now to meet election-office timelines. He outlined preliminary levy estimates: an elementary general-fund levy of about $225,000 (estimated at 1.2 mills), a high-school general-fund levy of about $581,000 (about 1.75 mills) and a safety levy previously run at roughly $1 million (about 3 mills). Pat stressed these figures were placeholders and that final ballot amounts would be certified next month.

Trustees discussed options to cover potential gaps if federal funding were reduced. Several trustees expressed concern about the prospect of cuts to Title I and IDEA funding and asked staff about permissive levies or building reserves as partial backstops. Pat and staff told trustees permissive levies and building-reserve options exist but are constrained by state law and the designated purposes of each fund; excess special-education costs and adult-education or transportation permissive levies were discussed as possibilities.

After discussion the board approved the elementary trustee-election resolution (motion moved by Trustee Hayes, seconded by Trustee Mercer), the high-school trustee-election resolution (motion moved by Trustee Wake, seconded by Vice Chair Walker Andrews), and motions to call the high-school general-fund and safety-levy elections (motions moved and seconded as recorded). Trustees voted on the motions as part of the meeting; the record shows the motions carried unanimously among trustees present.

Pat said the district will provide more detailed levy and tax-impact analyses at future meetings, including estimates of mill rates and household impacts, and will continue to monitor state legislative activity such as the STARS Act and bills in the 2025 session that could affect school funding.

Votes at a glance - Call for elementary trustee election (May 6): approved (motion moved by Trustee Hayes). - Call for high-school trustee election (May 6): approved (motion moved by Trustee Wake). - Call for high-school general-fund levy (placeholder): approved (motion moved by Trustee Davies). - Call for high-school safety levy (placeholder): approved (motion moved by Trustee Davies).

Trustees asked staff to return with detailed levy amounts and tax-impact calculations before ballot certification.