Federal Funding In Focus: Montana Schools Rely Heavily On Government Support

President Trump and his administration have been busy since he took office. There has been a lot that has been going on and a lot of information has been released. So much so that it is difficult to keep track of everything that is happening.

There is so much happening every day that it is difficult to track what government agencies are still operating, which ones are having staff reductions, and which ones are being eliminated altogether.

With the creation of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), led by Elon Musk, there is activity happening daily within the agency. According to the White House, the DOGE's purpose is "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize government efficiency and productivity". If you want to track the changes DOGE is making, you can do so here.

President Trump has said that he wants to eventually close the Department of Education, according to a report from the Associated Press. Montana's public schools receive a portion of their funding from the federal government.

Montana's Schools Get 21.1% of Federal Funding

According to USAFacts.org, Montana is one of the top states that receive the most funding from the federal government. Mississippi, South Dakota, and Arkansas rely the most on federal funding, with Montana right behind. Montana's public schools receive 21.1% of their funding from the federal government. The numbers used are from the 2021-2022 school year.

Get our free mobile app

Alaska and Washington D.C. received the most funding per student during that same time, with $4,400 per student. North Dakota received $3,500 per student, followed by Montana and Louisiana which both received $3,300 per student. The state which received the least amount of funding per student was Utah at $1,473.

The federal government is in the process of shifting priorities. It will remain to be seen how these changes will affect Montana's funding for public schools and the lasting effects this may have on our future students.