State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Arntzen Opens Applications for the Education Savings Account
HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen is excited to announce that families have begun filling out the application for the Education Savings Account (ESA), which the Montana Legislature passed through HB 393, The Students with Special Needs Equal Opportunity Act. There are two application windows, May 1, 2024 – June 1, 2024, and November 2024 to December 2024. The data submitted to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is secure and will only be used to verify eligibility.
“All Montana parents have the right to choose the best education for their children,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “This program expands educational opportunity and promotes academic success for students of all abilities. I am encouraged by the over 60 families that have already expressed interest in utilizing the Education Savings Account and that families from Gallatin, Yellowstone, Flathead, and Ravalli Counties have already submitted their secure applications.”
Families will need to submit the following information on the application:
- Student name, address, and birth date
- Parent contact information
- Proof of address
- Montana school attended the previous year
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) determination through an evaluation report, IEP, or private service plan
To qualify:
- students must be identified as having special needs under the IDEA definition of a "child with disabilities,”; and
- In the current school year:
- is identified as a "child with a disability" under the IDEA, 20 U.S.C. 1400, et seq.; and
- is between the ages of 5 and 19 on September 10, 2024;
- is not currently enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in the Department of Corrections commitment programs or in the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind; and
- was counted during the previous school year for purposes of school district ANB funding; or
- was enrolled during the previous school year in one of these programs; or
- is eligible to enter a kindergarten program pursuant to 20-7-117, MCA.
A Parent Handbook has been developed to provide more information about the program. To virtually apply click here, or request a paper application from Whitney Williams, Education Savings Account Specialist, at opiesa@mt.gov.
###