FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2024
Superintendent Arntzen Offers Grants to Montana Teachers for Math and Reading Projects
HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen announced that the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is allocating $1.5 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to Montana teachers for math and reading projects. OPI has partnered with DonorsChoose, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit, to offer $500 direct grants to all K-12 public school teachers in Montana.
“Dollars closest to the classroom lead to greater academic achievement for our students,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “These precious federal tax dollars will help purchase teaching and learning materials, supplies, and technology to support math and reading. As these federal ESSER dollars expire at the end of September, I encourage all of our teachers to take advantage of this funding to increase educational success.”
"Montana educators are going above and beyond for their students, and the Montana Office of Public Instruction is listening to what educators say they need for their classrooms," said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. "This back-to-school season, over a quarter of Montana teachers will see their classroom dreams come to life, and countless students will have the resources they need to kick off the year strong."
To qualify for a math or reading project grant, teachers must:
- Visit the DonorsChoose Montana Teachers page
- Teach K-12 in a Montana public school
- Create a new project on or after August 20, 2024.
- Ensure that your project’s total goal is under $500.
- Request resources to accelerate teaching and learning in math and/or reading.
Montana district superintendents and principals can monitor the projects and materials that are shipped to schools through the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program. This program ensures that all materials ordered align with district policy as materials become district/school property.
Between the spring of 2020 and March of 2021, Montana received over $605 million in COVID relief funds in three buckets. The final bucket, ESSER III, will close out on September 30, 2024. The ESSER dollars for these grants will be provided from the state set-aside funds.
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Questions? Contact:
Brian O'Leary, Communications Director
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.
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