State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Arntzen Announces that OPI School Nutrition Team Receives National Recognition
HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen is happy to announce that the Office of Public Instruction’s (OPI) School Nutrition team’s Direct Certification Application (DCA) was hand-selected by the Food and Nutrition Services Direct Certification Program Analyst, as well as the National Office, to provide two showcase demonstrations at the 2024 Child Nutrition Access and Accountability through Technology (CNAAT) National Training in Chicago, Illinois, August 27-29, 2024. The first showcase will emphasize Montana’s unique functionality and broad automation to assist other states in learning how to create or improve DCA systems. The second demonstration focuses on DCA’s statewide database and statewide functions that automate the multiple facets of Summer-EBT policy, as well as outreach and the challenges with meeting all requirements.
“Once again Montana is leading the nation through innovation,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Direct certification reduces government waste by creating an efficient process. We are all Montana proud of the work our School Nutrition team has done for our state and our nation.”
DCA is a system that uses data from:
- The statewide student information system
- Local districts
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Medicaid
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Foster Care
- Homeless, Runaway, and Migrant status
This data is used to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals. Over half of Montana’s districts now use an online free and reduced-price meal application, which greatly simplifies meal eligibility determination and Summer-EBT benefit eligibility. Families that are directly certified through DCA are not required to fill out the paper application.
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