Federal Programs- Meet the Team

 Christy Hendricks

406-410-4083
Federal Grants Coordinator/State Foster Care Point of Contact

Work-Related Duties:

1. Review Title I, Part D; Title II, Part A and Title V federal grant applications and provide technical assistance to LEAs.
2. Monitor LEAs for Title I, Part D; Title II, Part A and Title V to ensure LEAs are in compliance with federal law.
3. Foster Care Point of Contact for the state of Montana to ensure foster care students are immediately enrolled in school and receiving the services they need to succeed in school. Also work with Child Welfare Services to make sure students are marked correctly in Infinite Campus so they can receive those services.

Christy Hendricks is the Federal Grants Coordinator for the Montana Office of Public Instruction and oversees Title I, Part D; Title II, Part A; Title V and is the Foster Care Point of Contact for the state of Montana.  She has been on the Conference Planning Committee for NAESPA for the past 2 years and has extended her role as the Region V Representative for NAESPA.  Christy is also on the Montana Board of Crime Control Youth Justice Council Board to ensure our most vulnerable youth receive the services they need to succeed.

In her current role at OPI, Christy works with Egrants, Targeted Assistance and Schoolwide Programs and Private/Non-public participation in Title II.  The Federal Grants Unit distributes and monitors Title I, Parts A, C, and D; Title II, Part A; Title III Part A; Title V (RLIS); and Title IX McKinney-Vento Homeless Education. Prior to this Christy was the Data Control Specialist for the Career Technical Adult Education Department at the OPI.  She also spent 18 years as a CTE/Business Education and Elementary Librarian in a very small rural school in Montana. Christy is a proud 6^th generation Montanan and loves to be outdoors as much as possible and enjoy her beautiful state she is blessed to call home! AND She LOVES Her KC CHIEFS!!!!

 Angela Branz-Spall

406-444-2423
Migrant Education Director
 
 

Work-Related Duties:

1. Supervises IDR/Data Collection MIS 2000 /MSIX
2. Subgrating/Allocations to LEA/LOA
3. Supervises Comprehensive Needs Assessment Process
4. Supervises Service Delivery Plan/Evaluation

Angela Branz-Spall is the Title I Part C Migrant Education Program State Director. In this capacity she oversees the implementation of all aspects of the Migrant Education Program which is a state administered and operated program. This includes all administrative activities that are unique to the MEP, such as the identification and recruitment of all eligible migratory children located in the state, interstate and intrastate coordination of the Montana MEP and its local projects with other relevant programs and local projects in the state and in other states, as well as procedures for providing for educational continuity for migratory children through the timely transfer of educational and health records. She is responsible for collecting and using information for accurate distribution of subgrant funds through the E grant management system and the development of a statewide needs assessment, service delivery plan and evaluation. Angela has spent her career in public education as a classroom teacher, local program administrator and federal grants manager. She is a past-president of the National Association of State Directors of Migrant Educators (NASDME) and currently serves as the Western Stream representative of NASDME and the Chair of the NASDME Scholarship Committee.

 Serena Wright

406-410-4098
State Director for Homeless
EducationTitle I/Family
Engagement Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

1. State Coordinator of Homeless Education
2. Title I Specialist
3. Family Engagement Coordinator

Serena Wright is the newest member of the Federal Programs team. She is the Homeless Coordinator, Title I, Part A, and Family Engagement Specialist. Before the OPI, Serena was a teacher for over 17 years in the East Bay of northern California. Her entire career has been working with students who qualify as Title 1; English Learners, Socio-Economically Disadvantaged, and Migratory. She began teaching in a large urban school district as a bilingual teacher at a school with an EL and socio-economically disadvantaged population of almost 80%. Over the last 10+ years, Serena was the EL Coordinator in a small rural, farming community with only 3 schools, no high school, and an EL population of about 10%. During COVID, she became the community liaison in a sense, working behind the scenes to make sure the kids who were home alone had what they needed; clothing, food, supplies, and technology. The position here at the OPI as the State Homeless Coordinator was the perfect step because she could continue the work she loves surrounded by teams of district staff who have the same deep care for struggling families.

Serena is married and has 3 children. They love all things DISNEY, Disney parks, Disney movies, and they are excited to explore their new state and all it has to offer!

 Kimberly Rebich

406-410-4578
Federal Grants Coordinator

Work-Related Duties:

1. Federal Programs Unit Monitoring Specialist
2. Monitors LEAs for Title I, Part A to ensure LEAs are in compliance with federal law.
3. Provides Title I, Part A technical assistance to LEAs.

Kimberly Rebich is the Federal Grants Coordinator for the Montana Office of Public Instruction. In her current role Kimberly works with Title I, Part A for the state of Montana, monitoring and providing technical assistance to LEAs. Prior to working at the OPI, Kimberly spent seventeen years as a K-8 teacher in several of Montana’s Title I schools. During some of her seventeen-year tenure, she also taught and coordinated a K-8 school district Title I program. Kimberly has a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, as well as a Master of Science in Teaching and Learning. Kimberly loves spending time with her six children, and giving all thanks to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Zach Hawkins

406-444-3083
Title I and Federal Programs Director,
Private School Ombudsman

Work-Related Duties:

1. Oversight and Coordination of Title 1 and Federal Programs, Allocations, Administration, and Monitoring
2. Legislative Audits and U.S. Department of Ed. Communications
3. Provides Consultation and Technical Assistance to Districts and School Administrators
4. Coordinates National Distinguished Schools Program in MT

Zach Hawkins has worked at the OPI since 2018. He served as the Indian Education for All Director before assuming the role of Title I/Federal Programs Director and Private School Ombudsman. Prior to joining the OPI, he worked in Federal college access programs for 12 years, most notably as the Director of the Montana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program for 5 years. At the beginning of his career, he taught middle and high school social studies in Hays Lodgepole and Heart Butte.

His professional accomplishments include guiding the Hays Lodgepole Thunderbirds football team to their first victory in 5 years, receiving the Helena Education Foundation’s Distinguished Educator Award, and co-leading the National Council for Community Educational Partnerships’ College and Career Readiness Evaluation Project.

Zach and his wife have two sons aged 12 and 15. In his free time, he attends his sons’ mountain bike races and hockey games, skis, and explores Montana with his family.