OPI Continues Summer Program for Missoula Elementary Schools

The Montana Office of Public Instruction has announced new After School Grant Recipients in western Montana.

Spokesman for Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, Dylan Klapmeier, said several western Montana elementary schools qualified to receive part of the $2.1 million in federal funds.

Those schools include the Ronan and St. Regis K-12 elementary programs.

The five year programs are still in effect for select Missoula schools, as well.

“Currently, Missoula elementary schools are operating these five-year grants that they received last year in 2018, so Franklin Elementary, C.S. Porter Middle School and Hawthorne Elementary School have after school and summer programs through this 21^st century program,” said Klapmeier. “The 21^st Century Community Alerting Center Grants provide both summer and after school programming in high needs areas to promote academic achievement, offering services such as literacy and math, ensuring that all children receive academic results through summer and after school programs.”

Klapmeier said the purpose of the programs is to help children retain what they learned the previous school year, so there won’t have to be so many remedial programs in the upcoming school year.

“The purpose of the program is to prevent learning loss,” said Klapmeier. “Especially during the summer when children are not in class and get them into an environment where there’s structured learning so they can hit the ground running in the fall.”

For those parents wishing to access summer learning programs, click this link to the Montana Office of Public Instruction.