HELENA- At the State Land Board Commissioners meeting yesterday, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen was presented with a check for $41,186,280 to support Montana’s public schools. The funds were produced from Montana’s State Trust Lands in 2020, which is down from $45.9 million in 2019.

“Montana’s Trust Lands provide the first source of funding for Montana students,” Superintendent Arntzen said Tuesday. “As Land Board Commissioners, we have a responsibility to manage our state Trust Lands in ways that produce strong funding for our schools and create greater opportunities for Montanans to access their public lands. I look forward to working more closely with the Governor’s office, DNRC, and my fellow Land Board Commissioners in the coming year to proactively produce strong funding from our Trust Lands.”

Trust Land returns were down largely due to the fall in the price of natural resources and agricultural commodities. Weather was also a factor. Most of the returns come from these two sectors followed by timber and real estate. While timber remained relatively stable, it was down slightly from last year.

State Trust Lands are managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Trust Lands Management Division. State agricultural, forest, mineral, and real estate assets are managed for the benefit of the common schools and the other endowed institutions in Montana, under the direction of the State Board of Land Commissioners. The board consists of Montana's five top elected officials.