Valier Public Schools will transition to remote learning for two weeks after another staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
The first day of remote learning was Friday, Oct. 9. Remote learning will continue until Wednesday, Oct. 21, and in-person classes will tentatively resume on Thursday, Oct. 22.
All school events are postponed until further notice as the Pondera County Health Department conducts contact tracing, according to Superintendent Julie Gaffney.
Students will be under a modified class schedule during the remote learning period; click here for details on the school website.
Junior high school and high school students who do not log on at the beginning of online classes will be marked tardy, like on a regular school day.
Gaffney said the decision to shift to remote learning was made "because of the nature and extent of the risk involved" and that "student and staff safety is our number one priority."
She said the first day of remote learning wasn't without hiccups but was "outstanding" overall. She said a small number of families in the district do not have access to the internet.
The district is working with those families to set up Wi-Fi hotspots through the public library.
"I think the most important message I can send is each case of COVID and each school is unique," Gaffney told MTN News. "It's that uniqueness and the inquiries .... that determine whether you take a drastic measure as we did with going remote for two weeks."
For more information on the school closure in Valier, visit thedistrict's website or call Gaffney at 406-279-3613 or 406-505-0065.