Welcome to the Montana Office of Public Instruction!
As Graduation Season is upon us, I extend my congratulations to the tremendous and resilient Class of 2021! Montana is so proud of you!
On June 7, 2021, the Montana OPI submitted to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) its State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. This 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 has already been released to schools; once USED approves the State Plan, the OPI will be able to release the remaining one-third, or roughly $126 million. Please check the "Find ESSER Information" on this website for regularly updated information. If your school district has any questions on ESSER, please direct them to jeffrey.kirksey@mt.gov.
On June 24th and 25th, the OPI will host the Montana Education Virtual Summit & Job Fair supporting our Montana school districts with information and insight on Post-COVID opportunities for students.
Work Sessions include:
- The ARPA State Plan and the LEA Plan
- Meaningful Stakeholder Consultation
- What do the Data Tell
- What is the purpose of K-12 Education?
- Reimagining State Assessments
Dr. Yong Zhao will keynote the conference and provide support related to: "Avoiding the Learning Loss Trap" and "The Changes We Need."
The event is free to attend; there is a $50 charge for school districts seeking to participate in the Job Fair and host a virtual recruitment booth. Please see the registration page for additional details.