FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2021
Montana OPI Releases Template to Guide School Districts’ Innovative, Student-Focused Use of Federal Funding
Template assists schools in completing Federally mandated plan for using COVID relief funding
HELENA – On July 1st, the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) released a template to assist school districts across the state in completing a required plan for the use of Federal COVID relief funds. The plans, which are mandated by the U.S. Department of Education as a condition of utilizing the American Rescue Plan Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund money, will guide how each school district decides to use their allotment of the $382 million that Montana received. Specific allowable uses include student mental health services and supports, purchase of educational technology, and school facility repairs and improvements to help mitigate environmental health hazards, among others.
“This template was designed to give school districts flexibility and respect that local control that Montana thrives on,” said State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “We want these schools to innovate and improve their operations as we exit the pandemic, so that our Montana students are the beneficiaries of these tax dollars. Additionally, next week, I am asking the Board of Public Education to allow this Plan to satisfy the requirements of the Continuous School Improvement Plan for the 2021-2022 School Year. My goal is to alleviate the reporting burden on our school districts, while still ensuring local accountability, so teachers can teach and students can learn.”
To ensure continuous education improvement, the Montana Board of Public Education established the requirement for a continuous school improvement plan (CSIP). The school district and each of its schools develop, implement, and evaluate continuous school improvement plans and make the plans available to the public. These plans are reviewed on a yearly basis to reflect a continuous improvement process. By combining the CSIP requirements with the Federally mandated ARP ESSER Plan, the OPI’s purpose is to save schools both time and effort in complying with these dual requirements so they spend more time focused on student learning.
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Contact:
Chris Averill, Communications Director, 406-444-3449
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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