Great Falls Board Backs Moving Forward on School Levy
A budget committee voted unanimously to recommend pursuing a levy as the district faces projected funding gaps for 2027-28.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Great Falls Board Budget Committee voted unanimously to recommend moving forward with a school levy, though the amount that could ultimately be requested has not been finalized. The district last asked voters for a levy seven years ago.
Why it matters
Enrollment has fallen from 10,242 students in fiscal year 2022 to 9,669 in fiscal year 2027, and the district has reduced costs and dipped into reserves. Officials say the district needs to ask residents to invest in schools to cover projected shortfalls.
Projected 2027-28 budget authority is about $87.4 million, with estimated elementary and high-school levy amounts of roughly $930,000 and $1.26 million respectively. The final levy size remains undetermined pending further budget decisions.
The players
Great Falls Public Schools
The Great Falls school district is the public education system serving the city's students and is responsible for preparing the budget and levy proposal.
The details
The committee's recommendation follows a community budget town hall held Tuesday night. Many teaching position reductions over the past five years were handled through attrition as employees retired or resigned, with more than 50 teaching positions eliminated and district staffing declining from about 1,367 to 1,283 full-time equivalent positions.
Timeline
Seven years ago: The district last asked voters for a levy.
Fiscal year 2022: Enrollment stood at 10,242 students.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026: Town hall held and committee voted unanimously.
February 2027: Next official enrollment count is scheduled.
2027-28 school year: Budget year the levy discussion targets.
Seasonal Patterns
Great Falls' 2025 technology levy of $21.03 per student sits within a set of Montana peer districts, including Billings, Helena, Bozeman, Kalispell and Missoula, that have each relied on voter-approved levies to supplement state funding. The current proposal would extend that local-funding approach to cover general operating gaps rather than a single targeted program.
Residents in Great Falls may be asked to approve a levy that funds school operations, with estimated amounts of roughly $930,000 for elementary schools and $1.26 million for the high school. The final size of any levy will determine how much local property owners contribute to keep staffing and programs in place.
The takeaway
Declining enrollment and flat state-level grant funding are pushing Great Falls toward local voter support to keep schools fully staffed. Residents who follow the February enrollment count will see how the final levy proposal takes shape.
What happens next
The district will receive its next enrollment count in February 2027, which will inform the final levy amount and the 2027-28 budget.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education for context on how districts fund and staff their schools.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KRTV NEWS Great Falls.
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