Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB252: Create the student and teacher advancement for results and success act (STARS)
Status: Signed into law, May 13, 2025
What the bill says
An act generally revising school funding laws; enhancing the school funding formula through incentives and a housing cost budget authority increase; revising the incentive to increase teacher base salaries; establishing a new incentive related to resource sharing among school districts; expanding the types of educational entities that can receive incentives for meeting starting teacher pay benchmarks; renaming and revising the quality educator funding component; restoring full funding to the advanced opportunities program…
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING SCHOOL FUNDING LAWS; ENHANCING THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA THROUGH INCENTIVES AND A HOUSING COST BUDGET AUTHORITY INCREASE; REVISING THE INCENTIVE TO INCREASE TEACHER BASE SALARIES; ESTABLISHING A NEW INCENTIVE RELATED TO RESOURCE SHARING AMONG SCHOOL DISTRICTS; EXPANDING THE TYPES OF EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES THAT CAN RECEIVE INCENTIVES FOR MEETING STARTING TEACHER PAY BENCHMARKS; RENAMING AND REVISING THE QUALITY EDUCATOR FUNDING COMPONENT; RESTORING FULL FUNDING TO THE ADVANCED OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM; INCLUDING DISTRICT CLERKS PERFORMING CERTAIN FUNCTIONS IN THE QUALITY EDUCATOR AND QUALIFIED STAFF FUNDING COMPONENT; INCLUDING CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WORKING UNDER AN EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION IN THE QUALITY EDUCATOR AND QUALIFIED STAFF FUNDING COMPONENT; ESTABLISHING A NEW K-12 BASE AID FUTURE READY FUNDING COMPONENT RELATED TO POSTGRADUATION PREPARATION; PROVIDING INCREASED BUDGET AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IMPACTED BY HIGH HOUSING COSTS FOR USE IN ADDRESSING THOSE COSTS; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ANALYST TO CREATE A SCHOOL FUNDING DATA DASHBOARD; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; AMENDING SECTIONS 20-3-325, 20-6-326, 20-6-812, 20-7-102, 20-7-1404, 20-7-1503, 20-7-1506, 20-71602, 20-9-306, 20-9-324, 20-9-327, 20-9-344, AND 20-9-366, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE. WHEREAS, the definition of a "basic system of free quality public elementary and secondary schools" as provided in section 20-9-309, MCA, includes educational programs tailored to the specific needs of students and the qualified and effective …