2023 Montana Code Annotated
Title 20. Education
Chapter 5. Pupils
Part 1. Attendance
20-5-102. Compulsory enrollment and excuses
20-5-102. Compulsory enrollment and excuses. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), any parent, guardian, or other person who is responsible for the care of any child who is 7 years of age or older prior to the first day of school in any school fiscal year shall cause the child to be instructed in the program prescribed by the board of public education pursuant to 20-7-111 until the later of the following dates:
(a) the child's 16th birthday; or
(b) the date of completion of the work of the 8th grade.
(2) A parent, guardian, or other person shall enroll the child in the school assigned by the trustees of the district within the first week of the school term or when the parent, guardian, or person establishes residence in the district unless the child is:
(a) enrolled in a school of another district or state under any of the tuition provisions of this title;
(b) provided with supervised correspondence study or supervised home study under the transportation provisions of this title;
(c) excused from compulsory school attendance upon a determination by a district judge that attendance is not in the best interest of the child;
(d) excused by the board of trustees upon a determination that attendance by a child who has attained the age of 16 is not in the best interest of the child and the school; or
(e) enrolled in a nonpublic or home school that complies with the provisions of 20-5-109. For the purposes of this subsection (2)(e), a home school is the instruction by a parent of the parent's child, stepchild, or ward in the parent's residence and a nonpublic school includes a parochial, church, religious, or private school. A child enrolled in a nonpublic or home school may enroll on a part-time basis in a public school.
History: En. 75-6303 by Sec. 116, Ch. 5, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 389, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 91, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 137, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 75-6303; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 504, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 355, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 249, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 293, Ch. 56, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 617, L. 2023.
