Stevensville School District

FLEXIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY

Transfers for School Safety

It is the policy of the District to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the District’s resources by utilizing the provision of law allowing transfers of funds to improve school safety and security.

The District may transfer state or local revenue from any budgeted or non-budgeted fund, other than the debt service fund or retirement fund, to its building reserve fund in an amount not to exceed the school district’s estimated costs of improvements to school and student safety and security.

The transfer of such funds can be for:

1. planning for improvements to and maintenance of school and student safety, including but not limited to the cost of services provided by architects, engineers, school resource officers, counselors, and other staff or consultants assisting with improvements to school and student safety and security;

2. programs to support school and student safety and security, including but not limited to active shooter training, threat assessments and restorative justice;

3. installing or updating locking mechanisms and ingress and egress systems at public school access points, including but not limited to systems for exterior egress doors and interior passageways and rooms, using contemporary technologies;

4. installing or updating bullet-resistant windows and barriers; and

5. installing or updating emergency response systems using contemporary technologies.

Any transfers made under this policy and Montana law are not considered expenditures to be applied against budget authority. Any revenue transfers that are not encumbered for expenditures in compliance with the four reasons stated above, within 2 full school fiscal years after the funds are transferred, must be transferred back to the originating fund from which the revenue was transferred.

If transfers of funds are made from a District fund supported by a non-voted levy, the District may not increase its non-voted levy for the purpose of restoring the transferred funds.

Legal Reference:
20-9-503, MCA Budgeting, tax levy, and use of building reserve fund
20-9-236, MCA Transfer of funds – improvements to school safety and security

Policy History:
Adopted on: February 12, 2019
Reviewed on: January 8, 2019; July 2020
Revised on: September 2020