Montana Office of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 06/15/2022 01:53 PM MDT
OPI Secure Portal
The OPI has developed an OPI Secure Portal that personalizes your experience for authorized system access. A single URL, a single username and password, will grant single-click access to applications that are converted to utilize single sign-on technology. Rather than log onto DCA and MAPS separately, use this link to get to the OPI Secure Portal. Log in with your regular username and password to get to your tailored portal. Click on the icon for the program you wish to use. In MAPS, the Continue button that takes you into the system is at the bottom of the message page, so scroll down if need be to click it. Other applications may appear in your portal with a gray background. Those will require you to enter your credentials for those systems until they are fully integrated into single sign-on. For more information, review the system notifications you have been provided, as well as information in the Frequently Asked Questions link on the portal login page.
The portal is integrated with automated password reset, user access request forms, and software feedback tools. The Password Reset is the same tool you have been using for years. The User Access Request Form link works similarly to what you have used for years. The Send Feedback tool is new and intuitive. The single-sign-on system is being rolled out incrementally, so if you use more OPI applications than DCA and MAPS, you will see new applications become fully single-sign-on functional over the next several months.
Online Free and Reduced Price Application (FRAPP)
You may begin using the online free and reduced-price application for the 2022-23 school year starting on July 1, 2022.
You will then be able to process anything a family submits online through DCA when it comes back up, usually around the 3rd week of July after the annual DCA shutdown for unenrollment and decertification process is completed.
There are two sides to the free and reduced-price application system. One where families enter information. The other you can use to enter paper applications received.
The other side of the system is in the Direct Certification Application (DCA) where you opt-in your district to use the online free and reduced-price application, process the applications that are submitted and run reports. The eligibility math is done in the system. It’s super easy!
There is a Determining Official User Manual on the DCA login page. This tells you how the system operates and how to setup your district. It’s a simple opt-in process in DCA, then copy a URL to publicize to your families.
Call Bitsey Draur, IT Project Manager, with questions at 406-461-5423.
Now Available: Updated “A Guide to Smart Snacks in School”
USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative is pleased to announce the release of the updated “A Guide to Smart Snacks in School” at https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/guide-smart-snacks-school [fns.usda.gov]. This publication is designed for anyone who sells foods or drinks to students outside of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) on the school campus during the school day. This includes people overseeing school vending contracts, school snack bars, and fundraising involving the sale of foods or beverages on the school campus during the school day.
This publication has been updated and includes the following revisions:
Updated instructions on entering multi-unit packages in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Smart Snacks Product Calculator
Removed the image of the old Nutrition Facts label
New content for additional nutrition education resources on page 15.
State agencies are encouraged to share this announcement with their SFAs and others who may be interested. Questions about this announcement may be sent to TeamNutrition@USDA.gov.
USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
