State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Elsie Arntzen Urges the United States Department of Education to Reduce Data Collection Burdens
HELENA –State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen has sent a response letter to the United States Department of Education regarding the Interim Final Rule regarding ESSER I, ESSER II, and ARP ESSER data-collection. The response requests reductions to federally mandated data collection burdens on our frontier schools.
“Montana’s voice is as unique as our rural small school nature,” shared Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The heavy hand of the federally mandated data collection will challenge the majority of our schools. This is a continued Montana request to maximize the time for teaching and learning,” added Arntzen.
Per verified 2021 public school enrollment numbers, a significant portion of Montana schools have limited staff supporting their student body, and the current federal requirements add unnecessary workloads to our already overworked administrators and clerks. It is the goal of the Office of Public Instruction to minimize burdens on our districts so that schools may maximize the amount of time available to support the students of our great state.
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