Whitehall leaders lay out school funding picture as legislature nears session

Hannah, speaking during the district report, explained how the state funding formula and local levies combine to fund Whitehall schools and the implications for local taxpayers. The Whitehall Elementary base budget is formulaic under state statute, and local permissive levies — currently $128,763 for the elementary — top up that base. "That in that is everything but $128,763 of our budget," Hannah said, describing the local levy component.

Hannah said Whitehall Elementary is funded at "approximately 84.87% of what our max budget could be," while the high school stands at about 89.15% of its maximum; she compared those levels to nearby districts and statewide examples such as Colstrip Elementary at 143% of its max. The board discussed how enrollment counts enter funding calculations (a three-year average) and noted the district's historically conservative levy approach has kept taxpayer burden lower than many districts. Board members asked questions about how potential legislative changes to the funding formula might affect program sustainment and extracurricular budgets.