State suspends OPI’s authority to award contracts

Montana’s Office Public Instruction temporarily lost its authority to enter into high-price contracts for goods and services Tuesday after the Department of Administration discovered deficiencies in the agency’s practices.

In a memo sent to state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, the department notified OPI that it had received a score of 57% in a recent review of its contracting procedures — a score DOA characterized as “failing...