2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 7. School Instruction and Special Programs › Part 1. Accreditation and Curriculum › 20-7-117. Kindergarten and preschool programs

20-7-117. (Temporary) Kindergarten and preschool programs.
(1) The trustees of an elementary district shall establish or make available a kindergarten program capable of accommodating, at a minimum, all the children in the district who will be 5 years old on or before September 10 of the school year for which the program is to be conducted or who have been enrolled by special permission of the board of trustees. The kindergarten program, which the trustees may designate as either a half-time or full-time program, must be an integral part of the elementary school and must be financed and governed accordingly, provided that to be eligible for inclusion in the calculation of ANB pursuant to 20-9-311, a child must have reached 5 years of age on or before September 10 of the school year covered by the calculation or have been enrolled by special permission of the board of trustees. A kindergarten program must meet the minimum aggregate hour requirements established in 20-1-301. A kindergarten program that is designated as a full-time program must allow a parent, guardian, or other person who is responsible for the enrollment of a child in school, as provided in 20-5-102, to enroll the child half-time.
(2) The trustees of an elementary school district may establish and operate a free preschool program for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years. When preschool programs are established, they must be an integral part of the elementary school and must be governed accordingly. Financing of preschool programs may not be supported by money available from state equalization aid.
20-7-117. (Effective July 1, 2024) Kindergarten and preschool programs.
(1) The trustees of an elementary district shall establish or make available a kindergarten program capable of accommodating, at a minimum, all the children in the district who will be 5 years old on or before September 10 of the school year for which the program is to be conducted or who have been admitted through the exceptional circumstances provision under 20-5-101 by the board of trustees. The kindergarten program, which the trustees may designate as either a half-time or full-time program, must be an integral part of the elementary school and must be financed and governed accordingly, provided that to be eligible for inclusion in the calculation of ANB pursuant to 20-9-311, a child must have reached 5 years of age on or before September 10 of the school year covered by the calculation or have been admitted to the district's kindergarten program by the board of trustees through the exceptional circumstances provision under 20-5-101. A kindergarten program must meet the minimum aggregate hour requirements established in 20-1-301. A kindergarten program that is designated as a full-time program must allow a parent, guardian, or other person who is responsible for the enrollment of a child in school, as provided in 20-5-102, to enroll the child half-time.
(2) The trustees of an elementary school district may establish and operate a free preschool program for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years. When preschool programs are established, they must be an integral part of the elementary school and must be governed accordingly. Financing of preschool programs may not be supported by money available from state equalization aid.
(3) As used in this title, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Kindergarten program" means a half-time or full-time 1-year program immediately preceding a child's entry into 1st grade with curriculum and instruction selected by the board of trustees and aligned to the content standards established by the board of public education.
(b) "Preschool program" means a half-time or full-time program to prepare children for entry into kindergarten and governed by standards adopted by the board of public education.
History: En. 75-7507 by Sec. 378, Ch. 5, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 345, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 75-7507; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 334, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 68, Ch. 370, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 399, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 1, Sp. L. May 2007; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 608, L. 2023.