20-4-502: Definitions.

For the purposes of this part, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Education cooperative" means a cooperative of Montana public schools as described in 20-7-451.

(2) "Educational loans" means all loans made pursuant to a federal loan program, except federal parent loans for undergraduate students (PLUS) loans, as provided in 20 U.S.C. 1078-2.

(3) "Federal loan program" means educational loans authorized by 20 U.S.C. 1071, et seq., 20 U.S.C. 1087a, et seq., and 20 U.S.C. 1087aa, et seq.

(4) "Impacted school" means:

(a) a special education cooperative;

(b) the Montana school for the deaf and blind, as described in 20-8-101;

(c) the Montana youth challenge program, as established in 10-1-1401;

(d) a correctional facility, as defined in 41-5-103;

(e) a public school located on an Indian reservation; and

(f) a public school that, driving at a reasonable speed for the road surface, is located more than 20 minutes from a Montana city with a population greater than 15,000 based on the most recent federal decennial census.

(5) (a) "Quality educator" means a full-time equivalent educator, as reported to the superintendent of public instruction for accreditation purposes in the current school year, who:

(i) holds a valid certificate under the provisions of 20-4-106 and is employed by an entity listed in subsection (5)(b) in a position that requires an educator license in accordance with administrative rules adopted by the board of public education;

(ii) is a licensed professional under 37-8-405, 37-8-415, 37-11-301, 37-15-301, 37-17-302, 37-24-301, 37-25-309, 37-39-308, 37-39-309, or 37-39-311 and is employed by an entity listed in subsection (5)(b) to provide services to students; or

(iii) is employed by an entity listed in subsection (5)(b) to provide educational sign language interpreting for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and who meets the qualifications for educational sign language interpreting established by the board of public education.

(b) For the purposes of subsection (5)(a), "an entity" means:

(i) a school district;

(ii) an education cooperative;

(iii) the Montana school for the deaf and blind, as described in 20-8-101;

(iv) the Montana youth challenge program; and

(v) a correctional facility, as defined in 41-5-103.

(6) "School district" means a public school district, as provided in 20-6-101 and 20-6-701.