Montana House District 55 - Legislative Update
June 24, 2025
By Representative Brad Barker (Montana House District 55)
The Whole People must take upon themselves the Education of the Whole People and must be willing to bear the expenses of it. There should not be a district of one Mile Square without a school in it, not founded by a Charitable individual but maintained at the expense of the People themselves. They must be taught to reverence themselves instead of adoring their servants, their Generals, Admirals, Bishops, and Statesmen.
Instead of Admiring so extravagantly a Prince of Orange, we Should admire the Batavian Nation which produced him. Instead of Adoring a Washington, Mankind Should applaud the Nation which Educated him. ~ John Adams
The School Funding Interim Commission (SFIC) convened on June 23 to continue our task to strengthen Montana’s public school finance system. I’m committed to ensuring our work results in a more efficient, equitable, and sustainable framework that supports both educational excellence and fiscal responsibility.
The SFIC exists to fulfill the statutory requirement to conduct a comprehensive, 10-year review of how Montana funds K-12 education to meet our Constitutional requirement “to establish a system of education which will develop the full educational potential of each person. Equality of educational opportunity is guaranteed to each person of the state.” The Commission’s charge includes examining our state’s complex funding formula, assessing its alignment with constitutional guarantees and court precedents, and recommending improvements grounded in data and stakeholder input.
Our work is divided into two major phases:
Phase I is led by the Innovation and Excellence in Education Working Group (IEEWG) and focuses on benchmarking Montana’s system against top-performing national and international models.
Phase II, scheduled for 2026, will align IEEWG recommendations with Montana’s funding laws and propose legislative solutions.
At the June 23 meeting we reviewed a proposal to expand the working group beyond the 20 commissioners in the SFIC with five additional representatives from various school groups but decided to only add one additional representative from parents’ groups. The Commission also discussed “road shows” in locations like Kalispell, Havre, and Billings, followed by outreach during statewide education conferences in October.
A significant portion of the meeting on Per Pupil Expenditures (PPE) reviewed how school spending varies significantly across districts and even among schools with similar student outcomes. This analysis emphasized the importance of understanding ratios, economies of scale, and local revenue sources in the funding formula.
Connecting House Bill (HB) 567 and HB 156 to the SFIC’s Mission
During the 2025 session, I sponsored House Bill 567, which directly supports the goals of this Commission. HB 567 allows, and incentivizes, school districts to enter into countywide multidistrict agreements that promote operational efficiency, reduce administrative duplication, and increase access to high-quality instruction across districts.
For example, under HB 567, districts that collaborate in areas like payroll, special education, vocational education, and remote instruction will receive a 50% increase in their Total Quality Educator (TQE) payment as a financial incentive for working together to improve student outcomes and spend more efficiently.
This business-minded reform mirrors what the Commission is analyzing: how to deliver education more effectively to improve student outcomes using shared services, aligned curriculum, and smart governance. HB 567 pursues synergies to improve student outcomes without sacrificing local control.
HB 156, another bill that I co-sponsored in the 2025 session, represents a foundational change to Montana’s school finance formula. By replacing district-specific BASE budget levies with a guaranteed-tax-base-aid-supported countywide levy, HB 156 enhances funding equalization across communities and simplifies revenue distribution. Importantly, HB 156 does not allow one district to shift or increase the cost burden of its voted levies onto other districts.
This move corrects disparities between districts with vastly different property wealth and helps ensure every Montana child has access to a quality education, regardless of their ZIP code. HB 156’s county-level approach will also reduce administrative burdens and better align with the multidistrict resource-sharing model encouraged by HB 567.
Looking Ahead
The SFIC will continue its deep-dive into Montana’s funding formula through 2026. The IEEWG will finalize recommendations by January 31, and the Commission will integrate them into a comprehensive school finance reform proposal by September 2026.
Both HB 567 and HB 156 position us well for that next phase. They lay the groundwork for the kind of transformative, fiscally responsible reforms needed to improve student outcomes for all Montanans.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve and remain committed to earning your trust. Please email, text, or call with any questions or feedback. I am honored to serve you and remain committed to continuing to earn your trust.
