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HELENA - While a new study of Montana's public school system says another $730 million is needed to finance an “adequate” education, it doesn't say the money must come entirely from the state or right away.

The study says that amount is needed for Montana schools to meet state and federal education requirements by 2013. It also suggested the money could be phased in over several years, and is from all sources: state coffers, local school districts and the federal government.

“We're not running in and throwing this on the table and saying, ‘Fund this and fund it now,' ” said Lance Melton, executive director of the Montana School Boards Association. “It's to show the challenges we face.”

The study was financed by the Montana Quality Education Association, the group of school districts and other education groups that spearheaded the lawsuit leading to the 2004 court decision saying state funding of public schools is inadequate.

MQEC financed a similar study five years ago, before the lawsuit was filed.

The latest version takes another look at what's needed to fund a quality education in the wake of a new state law passed in 2005 defining the components of a quality education and the rigors of complying with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Melton said the study “may provide a wake-up call for the necessity of reforms” in the federal law.

“I see the results of the study as much of an indictment of the unreasonable inflexibility of No Child Left Behind as I do of the characterization of (money) needed today,” he said.

Here's a summary of some of the study results:

The “base spending” on Montana public schools now is about $1.1 billion a year, not counting transportation, building and food-service costs. The study says that amount should be increased to $1.84 billion a year, to meet requirements due by 2013.

A big chunk of this increase - about $400 million a year - is needed primarily to address the needs of disabled, low-income and American Indian students. These kids have special needs or have a longer way to go to meet federal standards.

Starting teacher salaries in Montana for the 2003-04 school year were the lowest among 13 Western states, at $24,032. The state's average teacher salary also was near the bottom.

Even when cost-of-living factors were included, Montana teacher salaries still are the second-lowest in the region, higher only than South Dakota's.

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