20-9-307. BASE funding program -- district general fund budget -- funding sources. (1) A basic system of free quality public elementary schools and high schools must be established and maintained throughout the state of Montana to provide equality of educational opportunity to all school-age children.
     (2) The state shall in an equitable manner fund and distribute to the school districts the state's share of the cost of the basic school system through BASE aid to support the BASE funding program in the manner established in this title.
     (3) The budgetary vehicle for achieving the financing system established in subsection (2) is the general fund budget of the school district. The purpose of the district general fund budget is to finance those instructional, administrative, facility maintenance, and other operational costs of a district not financed by other funds established for special purposes in this title.
     (4) The BASE funding program for the districts in the state is financed by a combination of the following sources:
     (a) county equalization money, as provided in 20-9-331 and 20-9-333;
     (b) state equalization aid, as provided in 20-9-343, including guaranteed tax base aid for eligible districts as provided in 20-9-366 through 20-9-369;
     (c) appropriations for special education;
     (d) a district levy, as provided in 20-9-303, for support of a school not approved as an isolated school under the provisions of 20-9-302; and
     (e) district levies or other revenue, as provided by 20-9-308 and 20-9-353.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 633, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 343, L. 1999.