Montana Code Annotated
Part 3. Finance
20-15-315. Funding for new community college district

20-15-315. Funding for new community college district. (1) The board of trustees of a newly created community college district shall, by August 1 immediately preceding the regular legislative session at which the district will first seek a state appropriation, submit to the board of regents enrollment projections for each year of the ensuing biennium and an annual budget pursuant to 20-15-312 for the first year of the ensuing biennium.
(2) The state general fund appropriation for the district must be determined as follows:
(a) For the first year of the ensuing biennium:
(i) divide the total adjusted base of all community colleges by the total FTE of all community colleges in the base year;
(ii) multiply the result of subsection (2)(a)(i) by the inflationary factor for the second year of the current biennium and then multiply by the inflationary factor for the first year of the ensuing biennium; and
(iii) multiply the result of subsection (2)(a)(ii) by the projected weighted resident FTE of the new community college for the first year of the ensuing biennium.
(b) For the second year of the ensuing biennium:
(i) multiply the number calculated in subsection (2)(a)(ii) by the inflationary factor for the second year of the ensuing biennium; and
(ii) multiply the result of subsection (2)(b)(i) by the projected weighted resident FTE of the new community college for the second year of the ensuing biennium.
(3) (a) After each fiscal year of the first biennium the new community college district receives a state appropriation, the commissioner of higher education shall determine the fiscal impacts that would have resulted had the actual FTE for that fiscal year been used to determine that fiscal year's state appropriation and determine any overpayment or underpayment to the community college for that fiscal year.
(b) At the end of each odd fiscal year, the commissioner shall calculate the net underpayment or overpayment resulting from the underpayment or overpayment of the prior fiscal year and current fiscal year determined under subsection (2) and:
(i) the commissioner shall distribute any net underpayment determined under this subsection (3) to a community college from the community college FTE adjustment account by October 15 of the current calendar year; or
(ii) a community college receiving a net overpayment determined under this subsection (3) shall pay a fee equal to the overpayment to the commissioner by October 15 of the current calendar year for deposit in the community college FTE adjustment account.
(4) After the first biennium a new community college district receives a state appropriation, the state appropriation for the district in subsequent bienniums must be determined as described in 20-15-310.
History: En. Secs. 1, 27(3), Ch. 351, L. 2021.