2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 7. School Instruction and Special Programs › Part 17. Students With Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act › 20-7-1703. Definitions

20-7-1703. Definitions.
As used in this part, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Eligible postsecondary institution" means an accredited postsecondary institution located in Montana.
(2) "ESA student amount" means the sum of:
(a) the data-for-achievement payment rate under 20-9-306;
(b) the Indian education for all payment rate under 20-9-306;
(c) the per-ANB amounts of the instructional block grant and related services block grant under 20-9-321; and
(d) the applicable per-ANB maximum rate established in 20-9-306 for the student multiplied by the ratio of adopted general fund budget to maximum general fund budget in the prior year, rounded to the nearest one hundredth and not to exceed 1.00, in the district in which the student is included for ANB purposes under the program.
(3) "Montana special needs equal opportunity education savings account" or "account" means an account within the trust established in 20-7-1710 in which a payment under 20-7-1709 is deposited on behalf of a qualified student for the purpose of reimbursement for the purchase of allowable educational resources pursuant to 20-7-1704 for qualified students.
(4) "Parent" means a biological parent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of a qualified student, and whose parental rights have not been terminated.
(5) "Program" means the Montana special needs equal opportunity education savings account program established in 20-7-1702.
(6) "Qualified school" means a nonpublic school serving any combination of grades kindergarten through 12 that:
(a) is in compliance with applicable local health and safety regulations;
(b) holds a valid occupancy permit, if required by the municipality;
(c) does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, marital status, color, age, physical disability, or national origin or because of mental disability, unless based on reasonable grounds, pursuant to 49-2-307;
(d) requires that any employee who may have unsupervised access to children be subject to a criminal history background check prior to employment pursuant to and in support of 42 U.S.C. 5119(a) and (c); and
(e) meets the requirements for Montana nonpublic schools under 20-5-109.
(7) "Qualified student" means a resident of the state who:
(a) in the current school year:
(i) is identified as a "child with a disability" under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1400, et seq.; and
(ii) is between the ages of 5 and 19 on September 10;
(b) is not currently enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in department of corrections commitment programs or in the Montana school for the deaf and blind; and
(c) (i) was counted during the previous school year for purposes of school district ANB funding;
(ii) was enrolled during the previous school year in a program listed in subsection (7)(b);
(iii) did not reside in the state in the previous school year; or
(iv) is eligible to enter a kindergarten program pursuant to 20-7-117.
(8) "Resident school district" means the school district in which a student resides.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 616, L. 2023.