Montana § 20-9-505 - Purpose And Establishment Of Nonoperating Fund

§ 20-9-505. Purpose And Establishment Of Nonoperating Fund

Purpose and establishment of nonoperating fund. (1) The trustees of a district that will not operate a school during the ensuing school fiscal year shall establish a nonoperating fund on the first day of the school fiscal year. In establishing the nonoperating fund, the trustees shall cause the transfer of the end-of-the-year fund balance of each fund maintained by the district during the immediately preceding school fiscal year to the nonoperating fund. However, fund balances of the debt service fund and the miscellaneous programs fund, if any, must be maintained in their individual funds. (2) The trustees of a district establishing a nonoperating fund for the first year of nonoperation may earmark a portion of the nonoperating fund balance as a nonoperating fund operating reserve when they anticipate the reopening of a school in the following school fiscal year. The operating reserve may not be more than the general fund operating reserve designated for the immediately preceding school fiscal year. If a school is not operated in the following school fiscal year, the authority of the trustees to earmark a nonoperating fund operating reserve terminates and the money earmarked as an operating reserve must be used to reduce the levy requirement of the nonoperating fund. If the trustees acquire approval to reopen a school in the following school fiscal year under the provisions of 20-6-502 or 20-6-503 and operate the school, the nonoperating fund operating reserve must be restored as the general fund operating reserve. (3) The purpose of the nonoperating fund is to centralize the financing and budgeting for the limited functions of a district not operating a school. The functions include: (a) tuition obligations to other districts; (b) transportation of the resident pupils; (c) maintenance of district-owned property; and (d) any other nonoperating school function of the district considered necessary by the trustees or required by law. (4) Any expenditure of nonoperating fund money must be made in accordance with the financial administration provisions of this title for a budgeted fund.