This bill aims to revise education laws concerning out-of-district attendance, enhancing educational choice and ensuring taxpayer equity. It introduces provisions that allow for limited circumstances under which an out-of-district attendance application may be denied. Additionally, it mandates that districts of residence are responsible for paying tuition for resident children attending schools outside their district. The bill also requires the submission of out-of-district attendance agreements to the Office of Public Instruction and obligates the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an annual report on these agreements.

Furthermore, the legislation stipulates that any tuition revenue received by a district of attendance must be utilized to reduce local property taxes. It amends several sections of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA), specifically sections 20-5-320 through 20-5-324 and 20-9-141, to incorporate these changes. The bill includes a delayed effective date and an applicability date, ensuring a structured implementation of the new regulations.

Statutes affected:
HB0203_1.pdf: 20-5-320, 20-5-321, 20-5-322, 20-5-323, 20-5-324, 20-9-141
HB0203_2.pdf: 20-5-320, 20-5-321, 20-5-322, 20-5-323, 20-5-324, 20-9-141
HB0203_3.pdf: 20-5-320, 20-5-321, 20-5-322, 20-5-323, 20-5-324, 20-9-141
Amended: 20-5-320, 20-5-321, 20-5-322, 20-5-323, 20-5-324, 20-9-141
Introduced: 20-5-320, 20-5-321, 20-5-322, 20-5-323, 20-5-324, 20-9-141