Title 20, Title 20

(1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), the trustees of a district may select the sites for school buildings or for other school purposes, but the selection must first be approved by the qualified electors of the district before a contract for the purchase of a site is e…

(1) A school building, either publicly or privately owned or operated, in which students are housed or instructed may not be built, enlarged, or remodeled until the plans and specifications for construction have been submitted to and approved by the department of labor and indust…

(1) The trustees of a district may not make any payment under a contract for the construction of school facilities until the plans and specifications for the construction have been approved under the provisions of 20-6-622. (2) A contractor, architect, trustee, or any other perso…

The trustees of any district may lease buildings or land suitable for school purposes when it is within the best interests of the district to lease the buildings or land from the county, municipality, another district, or any person. The term of the lease may not exceed 15 years …

Whenever the trustees of a school district determine that the building, furnishing, repairing, or other work for the benefit of a school district exceeds $150,000 and requires architectural services under Title 37, chapter 65, the trustees of the school district shall contract fo…

If the trustees determine pursuant to 20-6-631 that architectural services are necessary, the trustees shall hire a licensed architect for the architectural services as described by the school district's scope of the work. In the event that the trustees and the architect are unab…

Following the awarding of the contract, the trustees shall meet as often as necessary with the architectural firm to review the firm's plans and proposals. At least two of these meetings, one to review the firm's preliminary plans and one to review the firm's final proposals, sha…

The trustees are encouraged but not required to award architectural contracts to firms based or operating in Montana.

(1) Each contract entered into by a school district for architectural services shall contain a prohibition against contingent fees as follows: "The architectural firm warrants that it has not employed or retained any company or person, other than a bona fide full-time employee, t…

School districts that experience a disaster that destroys school property to the extent of rendering the property unfit for its present school use may apply for long-term loans for use in replacing school property under the provisions of Title 17, chapter 5, part 16.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (4), each elementary district with the same district boundaries as a high school district shall attach to the high school district for the purpose of establishing a K-12 school district. (2) For the purposes of this title, unless the context c…

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (2) through (6), a K-12 school district formed under the provisions of 20-6-701 is subject to the provisions of law for high school districts. (2) The number of elected trustees of the K-12 school district must be based on the cla…

(1) When an attachment order for a K-12 school district becomes effective on July 1 under the provisions of 20-6-701: (a) the county superintendent shall order the trustees to execute all necessary and appropriate deeds, bills of sale, or other instruments for the conveyance of t…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), in order to dissolve a K-12 district under the provisions of this section, the trustees of a district shall submit for approval to the electors of the K-12 district a proposition dissolving the K-12 district for the purpose of annexing or…

(1) Whenever an elementary district is attached to a high school district to form a K-12 school district under the provisions of 20-6-701, a district superintendent, principal, teacher, or other certified employee of the elementary district who has a right of tenure under Montana…

This part may be cited as the "Public Charter Schools Act".

(1) The legislature finds that: (a) parents desire education options for their children; (b) expanding educational opportunities for K-12 education within the state is a necessary and valid public purpose; and (c) creating options that assist parents and encourage students to dev…

As used in this part, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following definitions apply: (1) "Applicant" means a group of residents of the located school district or county of the located school district or the local school board of the located school district that …

(1) In accordance with this part, the board of public education is responsible for executing the following essential powers and duties: (a) soliciting and evaluating charter proposals; (b) approving charter proposals that meet identified educational needs and promote a diversity …

(1) To solicit, encourage, and guide the development of public charter schools, the board of public education shall issue and broadly publicize a request for proposal by June 1 annually. The content and dissemination of the request for proposal must be consistent with the purpose…

(1) An initial charter must be granted for a term of 5 operating years, commencing on July 1 of the first school year the public charter school will operate. An approved public charter school may delay its opening for 1 school year to plan and prepare for the school's opening. If…

(1) Subsections (2) through (5) apply to a public charter school not governed by the local school board. (2) The governing board of a public charter school district must be composed of 7 members. The boundaries of the charter school district consist of the legal description of th…

(1) (a) A public charter school must be open to any student residing in the state. (b) A school district may not require a student enrolled in the school district to attend a public charter school. (c) A public charter school may limit admission to students within a given age gro…

(1) The performance provisions within the charter contract must be based on a performance framework that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance indicators, measures, and metrics that will guide the board of public education's evaluations of each public charte…

(1) A charter contract may be subject to nonrenewal or revocation if the board of public education determines that the public charter school: (a) committed a material and substantial violation of any of the terms, conditions, standards, or procedures required under this part or t…

(1) (a) A public charter school must be a public education organization. (b) A public charter school is subject to all federal laws and authorities as provided in this part or arranged by charter contract with the board of public education consistent with applicable laws, rules, …

(1) It is the intent of the legislature that a public charter school receive operational funding on a per-pupil basis that is equitable with the per-pupil funding of the located school district. (2) (a) This subsection (2) applies to the budgeting and funding of a public charter …

(1) A public charter school district has a right of first refusal to purchase or lease at or below fair market value a closed public school facility or property or an unused portion of a public school facility or property within the located school district. (2) A public charter s…

(1) There is a public charter school account in the state special revenue fund provided for in 17-2-102 and administered by the board of public education. The purpose of the account is for the receipt and expenditure of gifts, grants, legacies, devises, and donations given specif…