20-7-334. Advancing agricultural education in Montana program account. (1) There is an advancing agricultural education in Montana program account in the state special revenue fund provided for in 17-2-102.

Terms Used In Montana Code 20-7-334

  • fund: means a separate detailed account of receipts and expenditures for a specific purpose as authorized by law or by the superintendent of public instruction under the provisions of subsection (2). See Montana Code 20-9-201
  • school: means an institution for the teaching of children that is established and maintained under the laws of the state of Montana at public expense. See Montana Code 20-6-501
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
  • Teacher: means a person, except a district superintendent, who holds a valid Montana teacher certificate that has been issued by the superintendent of public instruction under the provisions of this title and the policies adopted by the board of public education and who is employed by a district as a member of its instructional, supervisory, or administrative staff. See Montana Code 20-1-101

(2)Money in the account and money appropriated by the legislature for the purpose of this section must be used by the office of public instruction for addressing the stability of and making improvements to Montana’s agricultural education programs. The office of public instruction shall adopt rules to implement the national quality program standards.

(3)(a) Each agricultural education program in the state that completes the national quality program standard evaluation as adopted by rule and submits a plan of improvement to the office of public instruction’s agricultural education specialist may receive a payment of $1,000 prorated per full-time equivalent teacher endorsed in agricultural education who teaches approved agricultural education courses through the local agricultural education program.

(b)Each agricultural education program in the state that submits a detailed budget to increase the quality of its agricultural education program based on the plan of improvement may receive a payment of up to $1,000 prorated per full-time equivalent teacher endorsed in agricultural education who teaches approved agricultural education courses through the local agricultural education program.

(c)Each school that adds agricultural education to its curriculum and recruits and retains an endorsed agricultural education teacher must receive a payment of up to $7,500. A school with an existing agricultural education program is eligible for an additional payment of up to $7,500 each time the school expands the program’s teaching staff by adding a full-time equivalent teacher endorsed in agricultural education.

(d)Program administrators in Bozeman and Helena must receive a total of $20,000 annually for the costs of providing a minimum of one onsite visit each year to each participating school.