OPI Announces Grant Program To Pay For Math And Reading Based Projects

With roughly $1.5 million in pandemic-era education funding set to expire next month, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen announced a plan Aug. 20 to route those federal dollars directly to classrooms across Montana.

The spending strategy, crafted in partnership with the nonprofit crowdsourcing platform DonorsChoose, will let educators apply for up to $500 worth of assistance in purchasing materials for math- and reading-based projects. According to the Office of Public Instruction, applications will be vetted by DonorsChoose and open to all K-12 public school teachers in the state. Based on similar initiatives in other states, OPI said Arntzen is optimistic the remaining funds will be exhausted by the Sept. 30 federal spending deadline.

“Dollars closest to the classroom lead to greater academic achievement for our students,” Arntzen said in a statement Tuesday. “These precious federal tax dollars will help purchase teaching and learning materials, supplies, and technology to support math and reading.”

The $1.5 million in question is what’s left of the $19 million the 2021 Legislature set aside for OPI to address pandemic-induced learning loss statewide — itself a small slice of the $382 million Congress handed to Montana lawmakers in its third Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) package. Arntzen’s attempt to finish spending the money mirrors efforts in Arizona, Colorado, Utah and five other states that have also partnered with DonorsChoose over the past two years to fully utilize their ESSER funds.

According to OPI’s latest data, Montana has another roughly $100 million in unspent third-round ESSER funds, the bulk of it from direct distributions to individual districts. Barring a federal deadline extension, any funds not dedicated by Sept. 30 must be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.

As of the latest report in June of 2024, many school districts in Montana had yet to dedicate their ESSER funds. The most current numbers from OPI might be outdated for some districts as they have dedicated their leftover funds in advance of the September deadline.

Here are how Valley County School Districts stand with leftover ESSER Funds according to OPI as of June 2024.

Glasgow – $0

Frazer – $2.08 million

Hinsdale – $113

Opheim – $101,000

Nashua – $44,424

Lustre Elementary

– $103,000

Some school districts have large amounts of ESSER money remaining according to OPI. Some examples:

Billings – $9.6 million

Browning – $12.9 million

Butte – $4 million

Glendive – $1.5 million

Hardin – $5.3 million

Rocky Boy – $2.1 million

Wolf Point – $4.6 million