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Office of Public Instruction

Montana OPI To Celebrate Anniversary Of State Constitution

Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Montana Constitution Convention Tuesday by highlighting Indian Education for All at the fan window in the Capitol from 11 to 1. It was further codified in Montana code during the 1999 legislative session making Montana a national leader in supporting ...

New Data Details Pay Increase For Montana Teachers

The Montana Office of Public Instruction released data Tuesday showing an estimated 451 early career teachers who qualify could see a $3,472 increase in their salaries in the coming school year. 94 of the state’s 402 school districts encompassing 33 counties are participating in the Tomorrow’s Educators Are Coming Home Act program passed...

Superintendent Arntzen Responds To Recent Letter Sent By Montana Educators

In left over business from 2021 last December superintendents at all eight of Montana’s AA public school districts sent a five page letter to state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen expressing no confidence in her  performance as Montana’s chief public education officer alleging a host of “deficiencies” at the Office of Public Instruction that they...

New Report Reveals Massive Turnover Rate At Office Of Public Instruction

According to a recent termination report from the Montana Office of Public Instruction, 180 employees have left OPI in the past five years — a turnover rate of nearly 90%. The Montana Free Press Reports 57 staff members left due to “personal reasons,” 45 employees left to pursue other career options, and 38 employees retired since January 2017...

Montana Trade Industries & Superintendent Meet In Helena

The Build Montana workforce program was showcased at the state Capitol Wednesday with the idea of familiarizing high school students with the construction industry. It is a partnership between the school district private industry and institutions like the Office of Public Instruction and the Department of Labor and Industry. At a press confere...

School Districts Submit Spending Plans For Federal Relief Funding

A recent string of developments and deadlines have begun to offer a clearer picture of how Montana’s public school system will make use of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funding for K-12 education. Alex Sarkissian with the Montana Free Press reports that last Tuesday marked the submission deadline for school distric...

Montana Public School Spending Plan Approved

The U.S. Department of Education has approved Montana’s plan to use federal coronavirus relief funds distributing $127 million to the state’s K-12 schools. The most recent round of funding announced Thursday is the third and last delivering the $382 million allocated to Montana schools through the federal American Rescue Plan. Montana’s Office...

Superintendent of Public Instruction Expresses Concern Over Teaching Critical Race Theory In Montana Schools

Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen has requested a state attorney general’s opinion on the legality of teaching certain lessons dealing with race that are prioritized in draft language for federal education grants. The U.S. Department of Education is in the middle of a public comment period for its rule on priorities for grants...