HELENA — Applications are open for the Education Savings Account (ESA) through the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI).
Parents of a child with a disability have until December 1, 2024, to apply for the reimbursement program that begins this January.
If a child leaves a Montana school through the ESA program, the money the school would have used for the child will be given to parents after they show the receipts for the purchased educational material.
Parents can use the money from the ESA for things like tutoring expenses, educational therapies, textbooks, and distance learning programs.
To qualify, OPI says, "students must be identified as having special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act definition of a 'child with disabilities.'"
According to OPI, the ESA supports 14 students, and over $7,000 has been reimbursed to parents as of October 30th.
"In our state, this is the only option at this point. There is no voucher system. There is no other backpack method of anything else," said Elsie Arntzen, Superintendent of Public Instruction.
OPI says they currently have 23 school districts in Montana with 40 applicants.
The next application period will open this spring for the 2025 to 2026 school year.
You can find a complete list of qualifications, how to apply, and more about the education savings account here.
