Montana Office of Public Instruction

 

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OPI's 67th Legislative Summary Document

 

Welcome to the Montana Office of Public Instruction!

“I am so thankful for all the work that each and every one of you contributes to putting our Montana students first. The OPI’s success is because of our dedicated employees. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. Blessings to all.”
- Superintendent Elsie Arntzen

Photo Credit: Steve Meredith

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Superintendent Arntzen Announces 2022 Montana Teacher of the Year, William Stockton of Arlee.

Teacher of the Year

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For answers to questions schools may have related to the new school year, visit What Schools Need to Know.

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Congratulations to our two 2021 Montana National Blue Ribbon Schools: Ridge View Elementary School in Belgrade and Cascade Elementary School in Cascade! Once again, Montana schools have excelled even in the face of these unprecedented times, and have put our Montana students first. Thank you for making Montana proud.

The National Blue Ribbon School designation is a highly prestigious recognition that only a few Montana schools earn each year. On September 21, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced 325 schools across the country who earned this honor, based on a school’s academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

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On August 5th, the U.S. Department of Education approved Monana's ARP ESSER State Plan (submitted on June 7th). This action allows the OPI to begin transferring the remaining one-third of the ESSER III Fund balance to school districts. It also gives the OPI an approved roadmap for helping our great Montana schools use this large influx of Federal funding to innovate and improve instruction for our Montana students. Our plan recognizes local control, removes obstacles and barriers for schools, and enhances accountability without being overly burdensome.  

View ARP ESSER Plan

The ARP Act represents the third round of funding to come through the ESSER fund, and Montana's allocation totals more than $382,000,000. In previous rounds, Montana received more than $41,000,000 (ESSER I) and $170,000,000 (ESSER II). Through the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS), the state also received nearly $20 million for home and private schools. Two-thirds of the ESSER III funding was already released to schools in May; now that USED has approved the State Plan, the OPI can begin releasing the remaining one-third, or roughly $126 million. The ESSER page shares all updates. If you have questions on ESSER, reach out to jeffrey.kirksey@mt.gov.  

 

 

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Educator Licensing & Preparation (Chapter 57 and 58) Task Force Sessions 

Click here for information on this week's meetings.

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The Pledge of Allegiance Explained