I am using format docx. And I have widow/orphan control turned off, so am only dealing with one line of text needing to be moved forward.

Since this thread began, I've been continuing to work ahead in my file. And I have found several occasions in which ms word has gone ahead and moved the last line of the page to the next page in order to keep the footnote reference and footnote text on the same page. So right now I am left with a particular single scenario in which it did not do it; there must be something unique about that one, although I cannot see what it is.