Montana Title 20. Education § 20-9-438. Preparation of general obligation debt service fund budget--operating reserve

(1) The trustees of each school district having outstanding general obligation bonds shall include in the debt service fund of the final budget adopted in accordance with 20-9-133 an amount of money that is necessary to pay the interest and the principal amount becoming due during the ensuing school fiscal year for each series or installment of bonds, according to the terms and conditions of the bonds and the redemption plans of the trustees.

(2) The trustees shall also include in the debt service fund of the final budget:

(3) The trustees of a school district having outstanding oil and natural gas revenue bonds shall include in the debt service reserve account of the final budget adopted in accordance with 20-9-133 oil and natural gas production taxes received by a school district or other legally available funds sufficient to satisfy the reserve requirement. Funds remaining in the debt service reserve account may not be reappropriated or reverted and must be used for the purposes set forth in 20-9-474.

(4) At the end of each school fiscal year, the trustees of a school district may designate a portion of the end-of-the-year fund balance of the debt service fund to be earmarked as a limited operating reserve for the purpose of paying, whenever a cash flow shortage occurs, debt service fund warrants and bond obligations that must be paid from July 1 through November 30 of the school fiscal year following the ensuing school fiscal year. Any portion of the debt service fund end-of-the-year fund balance not earmarked for limited operating reserve purposes must be reappropriated to be used for property tax reduction as provided in 20-9-439.

(5) The county superintendent shall compare the final budgeted amount for the debt service fund with the bond retirement and interest requirement and the special improvement district assessments for the school fiscal year just beginning as reported by the county treasurer in the statement supplied under the provisions of 20-9-121. If the county superintendent finds that the requirement stated by the county treasurer is more than the final budget amount, the county superintendent shall increase the budgeted amount for interest or principal in the debt service fund of the final budget. The amount confirmed or revised by the county superintendent is the final budget expenditure amount for the debt service fund of the school district.