Title 20, Title 20

(1) A community college district shall provide instruction in transfer, career and technical, and adult postsecondary education, subject to the approval of the board of regents of higher education. The board of trustees of a community college district may, in its discretion and u…

(1) Teachers and administrators of a community college district are subject to and eligible for the benefits of the Montana teachers' retirement system pursuant to the provisions of Title 19, chapter 20. (2) The employees of a community college district not eligible for teachers'…

Whenever a district has property that is not required for the use of the district, such property may be leased or sold and conveyed to the community college district. Such lease or sale of property shall be consummated in accordance with the provisions of the law of Montana.

A community college district shall be prohibited from granting baccalaureate degrees.

The board of trustees of a community college district, on behalf of the district, is hereby authorized and empowered to accept gifts, legacies, and devises, subject to the conditions imposed by the deed of the dower or will of the testator or without any conditions imposed.

The registered electors in any area of the state of Montana may request an election for the organization of a community college district where the proposed community college district conforms to the following requirements: (1) The proposed area coincides with the then-existing bo…

(1) When the area of a proposed community college district satisfies the specified requirements under 20-15-201, the registered electors of the area may petition the board of county commissioners to call an election for the organization of a community college district. The petiti…

(1) On a determination that a petition complies with the provisions of 20-15-202, the board of county commissioners of each county in which the proposed community college district lies shall give notice of elections to be held within the boundaries of the proposed district for th…

(1) Pursuant to 20-15-208, the county election administrator shall conduct the election of trustees of the proposed community college district at the same time as the election to be held for the approval of the community college district's organization. (2) If the county election…

Notice of the community college district organization election and the accompanying election of a board of trustees for the proposed community college district must be given by the county election administrator in accordance with 13-1-108.

(1) An election for the organization of the community college district and the concurrent election of trustees for the proposed community college district must be conducted by the county election administrator. (2) For any community college district election held subsequent to th…

(1) To carry, the proposal to organize the community college district must receive a majority of the total number of votes cast. The county election administrator shall determine whether the proposal has received the majority of the votes cast for each county within the proposed …

(1) Newly elected members of the board of trustees of the community college district must be qualified by taking the oath of office prescribed by the constitution of Montana. At the organization meeting called by the board of regents, the board of trustees must be organized by th…

(1) Any person who is qualified to vote in a community college district under the provisions of 20-20-301 is eligible for the office of community college trustee. (2) A declaration of candidacy must be submitted to the county election administrator within the time period specifie…

(1) The trustee election ballot must be substantially in the following form: Official BallotCommunity College Trustee ElectionInstructions to Voters Make an "X" or similar mark in the vacant square before the name of the candidate for whom you wish to vote. Vote for (indicate num…

(1) After organization, the registered electors of the community college district qualified to vote under the provisions of 20-20-301 shall annually vote for trustees on the regular school election day provided for in 20-20-105(1). The election must be conducted in accordance wit…

(1) When the board of trustees of the community college district has received all of the certified results of the election from the county election administrator, the then-qualified members of the board of trustees of the community college district shall tabulate the results rece…

(1) A community college trustee position is vacant whenever the incumbent: (a) dies; (b) resigns; or (c) is removed under the provisions of 20-15-227. (2) A trustee position is also vacant whenever an elected candidate fails to qualify under the provisions of 20-3-307. (3) Any va…

(1) (a) The trustees of each community college district shall annually organize as a governing board of the community college district at the next regularly scheduled meeting after the regular school election day and after the issuance of the election certificate to the newly ele…

(1) The trustees of a community college district shall, subject to supervision by the board of regents: (a) have general control and supervision of the community college; (b) adopt rules, not inconsistent with the constitution and the laws of the state, for the government and adm…

(1) The trustees of each community college district are responsible for the proper administration and utilization of all money of the district. Failure or refusal to do so constitutes grounds for removal from office. (2) Trustees consenting to illegal use of money are jointly and…

(1) Any person may seek the removal of a community college trustee by filing a complaint with the board of county commissioners, containing charges based on one or more of the grounds cited in 20-15-228. (2) If upon receiving a complaint it appears that there is probable cause fo…

A community college trustee may be removed if the trustee: (1) moves the trustee's residence from the applicable community college district; (2) is no longer a registered elector of the community college district under the provisions of 20-20-301; (3) is absent from the district …

A community college district is subject to audit in the same manner as a state agency. A community college district shall contract for an audit with a private accounting firm, subject to approval of the legislative auditor. A community college district is responsible for paying f…

(1) Whenever 10% of the registered electors of an elementary district or districts of a county that is contiguous to the existing community college district petition the board of trustees of a community college district for annexation of the territory encompassed in such elementa…

(1) The governing body of an elementary school district, high school district, county, or municipality not within a community college district may designate itself a community college service region, as provided in this section. (2) A service region may be designated only if, wit…

(1) The board of trustees of a community college district may: (a) purchase, lease, build, enlarge, alter, or repair school buildings and dormitories; (b) furnish and equip buildings; (c) purchase sites for buildings; and (d) issue, refund, sell, budget, and redeem the bonds of t…

The board of trustees of a community college district is hereby authorized to accept funds from the federal government or the state of Montana, their instrumentalities, or any of their agencies in aid of any one or more purposes or in maintaining and operating the community colle…

A community college district created prior to January 1, 2021, is considered a district for the purposes of adult education and under the provisions for adult education may, subject to 15-10-420, levy a tax for the support of its adult education program when the superintendent of…

Community college district moneys shall be deposited with the county treasurer of the county where the community college is located or with other depositories approved by the regents.

The board of trustees of a community college district shall submit enrollment projections and other data necessary for calculating the state appropriation under 20-15-310 to the board of regents by August 1 immediately preceding each regular legislative session. By the following …

(1) As used in 20-15-328 and this section, the following definitions apply: (a) "Adjusted base" means the state appropriation to a community college in the base year: (i) (A) plus the payment made to the community college for the base year pursuant to 20-15-328(3)(a); or (B) minu…

(1) The annual current fund budget of a community college district created on or after January 1, 2021, may be financed from the following sources: (a) the estimated revenue to be realized from student tuition and fees, except revenue related to community service courses, as defi…

(1) Annually by August 15, the board of trustees of a community college shall submit an operating budget to the board of regents for their review. The operating budget of the community college must be submitted in a manner prescribed by the board of regents and include at a minim…

(1) By the later of the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in September or within 30 calendar days after receiving certified taxable values, the board of county commissioners of any county where a community college district is located shall fix and levy a tax on all the real …

Subject to 15-10-420, a governing body designating a community college service region as provided in 20-15-241 may levy a tax on all real and personal property within the region at a rate required to finance the services offered by a community college district for the region. The…

(1) The board of trustees of a newly created community college district shall, by August 1 immediately preceding the regular legislative session at which the district will first seek a state appropriation, submit to the board of regents enrollment projections for each year of the…

(1) This section applies only to community college districts created on or after January 1, 2021. The legislature intends that a newly created community college district have a single unified operating district levy to support the district's current fund. (2) Subject to 15-10-420…

At the end of each school fiscal year the board of trustees of a community college district may designate a portion of the current unrestricted subfund end-of-the-year cash balance as a cash reserve for the purpose of paying current unrestricted subfund warrants issued by the dis…

As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term "emergency" for the purpose of community college budgeting means: (1) the destruction or impairment of any community college district property necessary to the maintenance of the district, by fire, …

(1) Whenever the trustees of a community college district decide that an emergency exists, they may adopt a resolution proclaiming the emergency by a unanimous vote of all members present at any meeting for which each trustee has been given reasonable notice of the time and place…

(1) The meeting of the trustees of a community college district to consider and adopt an emergency budget must be open to the public, and any taxpayer in the district has the right to appear and be heard. If at the meeting a majority of the trustees present find that an emergency…

(1) After the last day of the fiscal year for which an emergency budget has been adopted, the board of trustees shall determine the amount of the cash balance that is available to finance the emergency budget's outstanding warrants or registered warrants for each fund included on…

The board of trustees of a community college district may: (1) purchase, construct, equip, or improve the following types of revenue-producing facilities: (a) land; (b) residence halls, dormitories, houses, apartments, and other housing facilities; (c) dining rooms and halls, res…

(1) There is a community college FTE adjustment account in the state special revenue fund provided for in 17-2-102. The account is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, to the commissioner of higher education for the purposes described in this section. (2) Beginning …

It is the purpose of this chapter to establish the governance of community college districts in Montana. The legislature intends that the board of regents and the local boards of trustees of community college districts coordinate their responsibilities to ensure an orderly develo…