MISSOULA — Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) administrators will have details of the district's new schedules "no later" than Monday after trustees approved a change back to more "in class" learning.
Following a Tuesday evening marathon meeting -- which was followed by more than 400 people -- MCPS trustees accepted the recommendation from the COVID Task Force and administrators to switch back to "every day" classes.
The District had used a hybrid with remote learning since last fall. MCPS School District officials believe that declining case counts, and new guidelines, will keep students and teachers safe.
The change will begin with the new semester on Jan. 16 although the details are still being refined.
"We will unlikely be able to transition every single grade level on the same day, or the same week because we do have some staff that need to be hired specifically at K-5," MCPS Superintendent Rob Watson said. "And we want to make sure we have enough of those staff in place before we start."
MCPS plans to switch elementary and middle school classes first, followed by the high schools. Days will still be shortened to accommodate precautions for school buses.
