Tester Secures $16 Million for Montana Schools, Roads, Municipal Services through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Secure Rural Schools program to invest in rural infrastructure, strengthen public schools

As a direct result of his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, U.S. Senator Jon Tester last week secured $15,919,854 through the Secure Rural Schools program to invest in Montana’s public schools, roads and other municipal services.

Tester worked with five Republicans and four Democrats to negotiate the IIJA and was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to vote for the bill. The Secure Rural Schools program was reauthorized and funded through Tester’s IIJA. 

“Whether it’s resources for schools, roads, or emergency services – our work on the bipartisan infrastructure law is continuing to deliver for rural Montana,” said Tester. “These targeted investments will ensure that children have access to a quality public education, will keep firefighters and law enforcement officers on the beat, and help restore our roads so that Montana doesn’t fall through the cracks. Montana’s counties rely on this critical funding to help grow small businesses and support families, and I’m looking forward to seeing it be put to good use across the Treasure State.”

Funding for the Secure Rural Schools program comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and will be delivered to counties across the state to support public schools and roads, the restoration of public lands, and other county projects. Recipients include:

• Beaverhead: $822,332.86      
• Broadwater: $171,441.68
• Carter: $115,630.41   
• Cascade: $126,844.82
• Chouteau: $23,524.14
• Deer Lodge: $207,058.44      
• Fergus: $83,148.06                
• Flathead: $1,237,355.41        
• Gallatin: $225,610.53            
• Glacier: $33,653.78   
• Golden Valley: $17,516.14    
• Granite: $542,527.02 
• Jefferson: $306,565.49
• Judith Basin: $239,971.29                 
• Lewis & Clark: $685,974.73 
• Lincoln: $4,044,923.24          
• Madison: $345,927.74           
• Meagher: $456,681.87           
• Mineral: $880,834.79
• Missoula: $607,136.51          
• Park: $474,588.67      
• Pondera: $67,137.96
• Powder River: $453,782.13
• Powell: $684,798.50  
• Ravalli: $728,924.16
• Rosebud: $76,133.87
• Sanders: $1,633,233.88
• Silver Bow: $140,029.27       
• Stillwater: $91,995.59
• Sweet Grass: $176,300.16
• Teton: $149,474.39
• Wheatland: $68,796.96

Tester secured significant wins for Montana in the IIJA, including $2.82 billion for Montana’s roads, highways and bridges; $2.5 billion to complete all authorized Indian water rights settlements; $1 billion to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; $65 billion to deploy broadband to areas across the country that lack internet access and additionally make online connectivity affordable; and $3.37 billion to reduce wildfire risk nationwide, among others. 

A full list of Montana provisions in Tester’s bipartisan infrastructure law can be found HERE.