2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 6. School Districts › Part 5. Opening and Closing of Schools › 20-6-502. Opening or reopening of elementary school

20-6-502. Opening or reopening of elementary school.
The trustees of any elementary district may open or reopen an elementary school of the district when the opening or reopening has been approved in accordance with the following procedure:
(1) The parents of at least two pupils who would attend the opened or reopened school petition the trustees of the district to open or reopen a school. The petition must identify the school, state the reasons for requesting the opening or reopening, and give the names of the children who would attend the school.
(2) If the trustees approve the opening or reopening of a school, they shall send the petition with a copy of their approval resolution to the county superintendent. The county superintendent shall review the petition to determine if the average number belonging (ANB) of the school would be two or more. If the trustees plan to open or reopen the school during the current school fiscal year, the trustees shall include the proposed opening date in the approval resolution and shall request that the process outlined in this section be expedited.
(3) The county superintendent shall present the petition, the trustees' approval, and the county superintendent's findings on the probable ANB to the board of county commissioners for their consideration. The board shall deny the opening or reopening of any school if the county superintendent's enrollment estimate for the school is less than two ANB. In all other cases, the board may approve or disapprove the requested opening or reopening of the elementary school.
(4) (a) If the board approves a school opening or reopening, the county superintendent shall send a copy of the approval, along with the petition, the trustees' approval, and the county superintendent's estimate of the probable ANB, to the superintendent of public instruction. Except under the circumstances described in subsection (4)(b), the trustees shall apply to the superintendent of public instruction for approval to open or reopen the school by June 1 prior to the beginning of the school year in which they intend to open or reopen the elementary school. The superintendent of public instruction shall approve or disapprove the requested opening or reopening of the elementary school by the fourth Monday of June. If the opening or reopening is approved, the superintendent of public instruction shall approve or adjust the ANB estimate of the county superintendent for the school and the ANB amount must be used for budgeting and BASE funding program purposes during the ensuing school fiscal year. An ANB amount may not be approved for the ensuing school fiscal year for an opening or reopening school when the request for the school has not been received by the superintendent of public instruction by June 1.
(b) (i) If the opening or reopening is approved and the trustees want to open or reopen the school during the current school fiscal year, the trustees shall submit a budget request to the superintendent of public instruction for that portion of the fiscal year in which the school will be in operation prior to the ensuing school fiscal year. The superintendent of public instruction shall approve or adjust the budget request and shall fund the budget for the portion of the school year in which the school will be in operation.
(ii) Before a school may open or reopen during the current school fiscal year, the school must be classified as an isolated school in accordance with the provisions of 20-9-302, except that the dates in that section for the submission and approval of the application for classification do not apply and the application must be made at the same time that the application for opening or reopening the school is made.
History: En. 75-6602 by Sec. 200, Ch. 5, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 75-6602; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 105, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 237, L. 2001.