20-9-381. Future ready payment -- purpose -- calculation -- definitions. (1) Beginning in fiscal year 2028, the state shall provide a future ready payment to school districts. The payment is composed of incentive amounts as described in 20-9-306 and this section. The purpose of the payment is to:

(a) expand personalized career and technical education opportunities for middle school and high school pupils;

(b) reduce out-of-pocket costs for pupils and families in support of a pupil's postsecondary success;

(c) empower pupils to actively engage in forming their postsecondary success path; and

(d) provide expanded flexibility to districts to support the alignment of each pupil's postsecondary success path with each pupil's individual interests, passions, strengths, needs, and culture.

(2) The incentive amount of the future ready payment is based on three goal levels:

(a) goal level 1, high school graduates who while in high school earned 15 or more postsecondary or CTE-equivalent credits;

(b) goal level 2, high school graduates who while in high school earned 30 or more postsecondary or CTE-equivalent credits; and

(c) goal level 3, high school graduates who while in high school earned an associate-level degree.

(3) (a) A high school graduate may reach goal levels 1 and 2 using any combination of postsecondary and CTE-equivalent credits.

(b) A high school graduate who achieves a higher future ready goal level does not generate a lower goal level payment.

(4) For the purposes of 20-9-382 and this section, the following definitions apply:

(a) "CTE-equivalent credit" means the career and technical education (CTE) credit value ascribed by the department of labor and industry as set forth in 20-9-382.

(b) (i) "Postsecondary credit" means the successful completion of a course of study by a student enrolled in a high school district or K-12 school district that results in the student's eligibility for transcripted credit within the Montana university system.

(ii) No later than December 1, the commissioner of higher education shall provide to the office of public instruction an annually updated list of the criteria of courses of study, including any completion or examination requirements, that a high school student may take that result in eligibility for transcripted credit at any unit of the Montana university system based on the adopted policies of the board of regents of higher education. If the number of credits differs based on examination results, the list must include these differentiated credit values. The list submitted applies to the achievements of high school graduates from the prior school year.