Superintendent Elsie Arntzen is Working to Minimize the Impacts of Youth Homelessness

• Brian O'Leary
• July 07 2022

HELENA – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen continues to focus on Montana’s homeless youth through federal grant dollars that fund basic needs for families, research, and other learning programs. The American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children Youth (ARP-HCY) fund, which included two disbursements, and the Title I, Part C funds for migrant education help Montana identify and provide services to homeless and migrant children.

“Our children are our most precious resource, and I am proud of the work our staff has accomplished in providing unique services to our homeless and migrant students,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “All of our Montana students deserve the opportunity to achieve educational excellence. Supporting all children and all families ensures that the future of our great state is strong.”

In the 2021-2022 school year there were 4,686 homeless students in Montana. Homelessness is defined as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes:

1. children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;
2. children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
3. children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
4. migratory children…who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

For the past school year, a total of $469,206 of ARP-HCY I funds were granted to 17 Montana school districts and in $1,407,618 of ARP-HCY II federal funds were dispersed to 32 Montana school districts. Montana also received a $1.8 million grant for migrant students. School districts have used these funds to provide students with sleeping bags and pads, school supplies, hygiene products, laundry and showering facilities, and cooking classes.

The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has partnered with Reach Higher Montana to focus on our older students who need assistance creating a graduation/post-graduation plan. The OPI has also partnered with Montana State University to provide webinars and virtual learning education courses for grant recipients and community homeless liaisons.

The OPI Montana Migrant Education Program has a statewide recruitment specialist located in Lewistown and data collection specialists located in Hysham. There are four regional site-based instructional and supplemental service programs that operate in:

• the greater Yellowstone County area at Huntley Project School District
• Clarks Fork Valley at Fromberg School District
• Missoula County at Hellgate School District
• an anticipated cherry harvest program later in the summer in the Flathead Valley located at Polson School District.

For more information about the Migrant Education program, please contact Angela Branz-Spall, Title I Part C MEP Director, abranzspall@mt.govor (406) 459-6368.

For more information, please contact Jack O’Connor, Federal Programs Director and State Homeless Education Coordinator, at joconnor2@mt.govor 406-444-3083.

###