20-9-327. (Effective July 1, 2006) Quality educator payment. (1) (a) The state shall provide a quality educator payment to:
     (i) public school districts, as defined in 20-6-101 and 20-6-701;
     (ii) special education cooperatives, as described in 20-7-451;
     (iii) the Montana school for the deaf and blind, as described in 20-8-101; and
     (iv) state youth correctional facilities, as defined in 41-5-103.
     (b) A special education cooperative that has not met the requirements of 20-7-453 and 20-7-454 may not be funded under the provisions of this section except by approval of the superintendent of public instruction.
     (2) (a) The quality educator payment for special education cooperatives must be distributed directly to those entities by the superintendent of public instruction.
     (b) The quality educator payment for the Montana school for the deaf and blind must be distributed to the Montana school for the deaf and blind.
     (c) The quality educator payment for Pine Hills and Riverside youth correctional facilities must be distributed to those facilities by the department of corrections.
     (3) The quality educator payment is $2,000 times the number of full-time equivalent educators, as reported to the superintendent of public instruction for accreditation purposes in the previous school year, each of whom:
     (a) holds a valid certificate under the provisions of 20-4-106 and is employed by an entity listed in subsection (1) in a position that requires an educator license in accordance with the administrative rules adopted by the board of public education; or
     (b) (i) is a licensed professional under 37-8-405, 37-8-415, 37-11-301, 37-15-301, 37-23-201, 37-24-301, or 37-25-302; and
     (ii) is employed by an entity listed in subsection (1) to provide services to students.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 4, Sp. L. December 2005.