Montana Code 20-7-503. District establishment of traffic education program
20-7-503. District establishment of traffic education program. (1) The trustees of any district operating a junior high school or high school may establish and maintain a traffic education course. The traffic education course shall be:
Terms Used In Montana Code 20-7-503
- district: means the territory, regardless of county boundaries, organized under the provisions of this title to provide public educational services under the jurisdiction of the trustees prescribed by this title. See Montana Code 20-6-101
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- 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
- Superintendent of public instruction: means that state government official designated as a member of the executive branch by the Montana constitution. See Montana Code 20-1-101
- 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
- Traffic education: means instruction in motor vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, and school bus traffic laws or motorcycle laws, in the acceptance of personal responsibility on the public highways, in the causes and consequences of traffic accidents, and in the skills necessary for the safe operation of bicycles and motor vehicles or motorcycles. See Montana Code 20-7-501
- Traffic education course: means a course of traffic education that has been approved by the superintendent of public instruction. See Montana Code 20-7-501
- Trustees: means the governing board of a district. See Montana Code 20-1-101
(a)for students who are 15 years old or older or will have reached their 15th birthday within 6 months of the course completion;
(b)taught by a teacher of traffic education;
(c)conducted in accordance with the basic course requirements established by the superintendent of public instruction; and
(d)taught during regular school hours, after regular school hours, on Saturdays, or as a summer school course, at the option of the trustees.
(2)(a) A school district may offer the classroom portion of a traffic education course through an online or distance learning platform.
(b)When a student completes the classroom portion of a traffic education course pursuant to subsection (2)(a), the student is authorized to take the hands-on driving portion of the traffic education course under the instruction of the student’s parent or guardian.