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(1) The board of public education authorizes and en-courages the administration of the Montana school for the deaf and blind to enter into cooperative education and training pro-grams with school district #1 when such arrangements are mutually agreed upon and serve the best interests of children. Such programs shall be reported to the board with appropriate rationale and evaluation results.

(1) To be consistent with the philosophy of least restrictive alternative for education and to maintain a continuum of alternatives which assures the best possible availability of services and materials, the board authorizes the Montana school for the deaf and blind to provide regional services of itinerant con-sultants and instructional tools, materials and books from the center at the school in Great Falls, and that these services shall be made available to all school districts in the state and shall function in cooperation with the regional offices for special education.

(1) Upon application and approval by the board of public education and contingent on supplementary source of funding, the Montana school for the deaf and blind may conduct instructional and/or educational programs during the summer months.

(1) The board establishes as policy that the administration of the Montana school for the deaf and blind shall:

(a) adopt a yearly calendar having not less than 180 or more than 186 instructional days;

(b) such yearly calendar may be adjusted to coincide with the school calendar adopted by the Great Falls school district #1;

(c) require that all children go their respective homes for all residential closings during the year.

(1) The following procedures shall govern the admission of students at the Montana school for the deaf and blind:

(a) The parent or legal guardian must complete an appli-cation for admission.

(b) A medical examination form must be filed from the family doctor.

(c) Appropriate data and/or assessment of hearing loss or impairment of vision must accompany the application.

(d) The parents or guardian, with their child, must visit the school.

(e) Within practical limitation of time, but not exceed-ing six months, a child study team shall be called on each child admitted or considered for admission. The composition of the child study team shall follow the rules and regulations set forth by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(f) A child study team shall be called yearly for reassessment of the child's placement at the school.

(g) The school shall follow the mandates of Public Law 94-142 regarding admission of students.

(1) Admission of children as residents in the dormitory at the Montana school for the deaf and blind shall be as follows:

(a) All children otherwise certified as admissable students and residing outside the immediate area of the city of Great Falls may reside in the dormitory during regular school days.

(b) All children otherwise certified as admissable students and residing within the city of Great Falls and its immediate surrounding area shall be day students--meaning that they shall go to their respective homes each day after regular school hours.

(c) Under certain conditions of need or social considera-tions, day students may be admitted as resident students pro-vided such recommendation is made by:

(i) the welfare department

(ii) a review committee comprised of the superintendent of the school, the dean of students, the principal, and a teacher.

(d) In such cases, the arrangement must be discussed with the parent or guardian and is subject to review periodically.

(1) Inasmuch as the physical facilities and staff of the school are utilized to their fullest for residential children of Montana, the board of pub-lic education directs the superintendent to not accept application for admittance of any child who is not a resident of the state of Montana.

(1) The transfer of students from the Montana school for the deaf and blind to another educational placement shall be accomplished by:

(a) recommendation of the child study team;

(b) concurrence of the parents; and

(c) consultation with and acceptance by the local education agency.

(1) For those circumstances or conditions where a student at the Montana school for the deaf and blind is to be suspended, the superintendent shall use the following procedures. (Suspension is defined as a short term guidance or disciplinary placement of the child at home with his/her parent or guardian. Suspension shall not exceed one week at a time.)

(a) Call together an appropriate committee to examine the circumstances and reasons for action of suspension.

(b) Examine all other alternatives.

(c) Communicate and discuss the matter with the parents or guardian.

(1) Expulsion will be resorted to only when it is evident that there is little or no possibility of the pupil's being able to benefit from continued school experience and that his presence would constitute a hazard to the school program. Expulsion or permanent exclusion is solely the direct responsibility of the board of public education.

(2) The parents or guardians shall be notified in writing of their opportunity to appear before the Board of Public Education prior to any action of expulsion.

(3) The superintendent shall make an administrative recommendation to the board based on a thorough investigation of the case and the recommendation of the school principal or director of child care services.

(4) If the board expels the student, the secretary to the board shall officially notify his parent(s) or guardian(s) of the action.

(5) Readmission of an expelled student is possible provided the cause(s) leading to the expulsion have been corrected or substantially diminished.

(6) Readmission is subject to approval by the board.

(1) The board establishes as policy that the administration of the Montana school for the deaf and blind shall provide for each residential student the most cost-effective and convenient method of transportation to and from home each scheduled travel weekend during the time when school is in session.

(2) The superintendent of the school for the deaf and blind shall determine the appropriate means of transportation applying the following criteria:

(a) Preference shall be given to scheduled commercial air or ground carriers where such transportation will not unduly inconvenience the student or his family and where student supervisors will not be required.

(i) In assessing inconvenience to the student and his family, the superintendent shall consider the amount of time the student is enroute and the distance the family must travel to meet the student at the termination of commercial carrier service.

(ii) The superintendent may provide scheduled ground transportation service only through a carrier certified by the public service commission.

(b) When transportation by scheduled commercial air or ground carrier is not available, or is inappropriate, the superintendent may choose to transport residential students on either school buses as defined in section 20-10-101 MCA, chartered commercial aircraft, or through individual transportation contracts with parents. When entering into individual transportation contracts with the parents or guardians of a student, the superintendent must follow the guidelines for special education transportation established by the state of Montana. The individual transportation contract shall provide reimbursement at the current rate set for special education transportation individual contracts.

(i) In chartering aircraft, the superintendent may contract only with F.A.A. approved Part 135 operators who hold a commercial operation certificate of issuance with the Montana board of aeronautics.

(ii) The superintendent may charter single-engine aircraft, weather and time-of-day permitting. Twin-engine aircraft shall be used where weather or time-of-day require.

(iii) The superintendent shall assign supervisors from the school for the deaf and blind to accompany students on charter flights when deemed appropriate and when number of passengers and size of aircraft permit.