(1) Organization of the Office of Public Instruction. 

(a) The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) was implemented under the provisions of section 1, chapter 86 of the Laws of Montana, 1903 and section 14, chapter 5, Revised Codes of Montana, 1947. 

(b) The office consists of the following four divisions:

(i) Program Division;

(ii) Accountability Division;

(iii) Financial Division; and

(iv) Information Technology Division.

(c)  Each division is headed by an administrator. The divisions are comprised of sections, which are divided into units. See functional chart.

(d) The Superintendent of Public Instruction is responsible for administration of the office. The superintendent is empowered to appoint a deputy superintendent and to employ, organize, and administer a staff of personnel to assist the superintendent in the administration of the duties and services of the office.

(e) The superintendent serves on boards, commissions, and councils as provided in the Constitution of the State of Montana and the Montana Legislature.

(f) There are two councils that serve in an advisory capacity to the superintendent. They are the Special Education Advisory Panel and the Montana Advisory Council for Indian Education. These councils have no rulemaking or adjudicating authority.

(2) Functions of divisions.

(a) The Program Division houses the sections that support schools, teachers, students, and families. The division includes the teaching and learning section; the student support services section; the improvement and engagement section; the accreditation, licensure, and educator preparation section; and the education innovation section. There are units within each of these sections.

(b) The Accountability Division performs the general administrative support services for OPI. The division includes the agency support services unit and the human resources unit.

(c) The Financial Division performs the fiscal administrative support functions for OPI. The division includes the centralized services unit, the school emergency relief unit, and the school finance unit.

(d) The Information Technology Division's primary function is to provide technology support and assistance to OPI users and school districts using OPI's various data management systems. The division includes the information technology unit and the data unit.

(3) General inquiries regarding the office may be addressed to the superintendent. Specific information regarding the functions of a division may be addressed to the deputy superintendent. All requests for hearings, declaratory rulings, and for participation in rulemaking may be addressed to the superintendent unless notice in the Montana Administrative Register makes specific provisions for submissions.

(4) The address for the superintendent and administrators for each division is the Office of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 202501, Helena, Montana 59620-2501.

(5) A chart describing office organization is attached and incorporated into this rule.