Chinook School District Faces Challenges with a Shortfall in Aggregate Hours for Some Students

November 1 was Chinook School District Superintendent, Fred Hofman's first day to certify numbers in the school reporting process so that base funding could be calculated for the district. During that certification process, Hofman noticed a discrepancy: Chinook School District students in grades 4-6 weren't meeting the minimum aggregate hours as outlined in Title 20, Chapter 1, Part 3 (20-1-301) of Montana Code Annotated. Contact time for students in grades 7-11 will also require some adjustment.

Schools in Montana are funded using a figure called Average Number Belonging (ANB). ANB is a metri...