Bullock closes schools statewide for 2 weeks

Gov. Steve Bullock on March 15 directed Montana’s public K-12 schools to close Monday through March 28.

The announcement came as part of a set of directives aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing measures, and limiting visitation at nursing home facilities. The decision is not in response to an outbreak in schools, Bullock added.

As of Monday, six adults had tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 in Montana. Two cases are in Missoula County, and there is one case each in Gallatin, Yellowstone, Silver Bow and Broadwater counties. Testing is now going on seven days a week. Montana reported its first case on Friday.

No cases have been confirmed in Lake County, according to Lake County Public Health. Local COVID-19 tests sent to the Montana Public Health Laboratory in Helena have all come back negative.

Bullock said schools will continue to receive state funding during the two-week closure.

“As governor, it is my top priority to protect the health and safety of Montanans, particularly our most vulnerable, at a time when we face the potential for extraordinary health risks from coronavirus in our state,” Bullock said in a press release. “Social distancing is one of the most important primary protective measures to flatten the curve of this virus. I cannot underscore the seriousness of following these measures to help our neighbors, friends, and families.”

Polson School District Superintendent Rex Weltz notified staff, students and parents of the temporary closure on March 15.

“We will be diligent in staying on top of information in the state and across the nation as it is released and use this information to assess the current situation for our schools,” Weltz said. “We will keep in constant communication with our community on the status of our district.”

Earlier in the week, Polson canceled all after-school community events and functions. The high school DECA trip to Nashville was canceled, elementary wrestling was canceled and the school’s weekend ski bus to Whitefish was canceled.

In a memo to the public March 13, Weltz said the district was working on a remote schooling plan. He also said the district was developing options for students who need free or reduced-cost meals.

“Remember we are in this together,” Weltz noted.

Ronan School District announced Monday that it will be providing free breakfast and lunch for school-aged children during the closure. People can pick up these meals at the following locations:

•Pablo Elementary Parking Lot at 8-9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

•Ronan Middle School Event Center Parking Lot at 8-9 a.m. and 11:30-12:30 p.m.

St. Ignatius Schools planned to have meals ready for students beginning March 17. The district said all extra-curricular and school activities will canceled for the next two weeks.

Bullock’s directive led to other closures across Lake County.

The Ronan and Polson Boys and Girls Clubs will be closing for the two-week period, adding that the “safety of our club members and their families is our top priority.”

The North Lake County Public Library is closed through March 28, as well.

“The health of our community is of the utmost importance to us, and we feel it is necessary to slow the spread of this virus that most severely affects a large number of our patrons,” the library stated on its website.

All use of the library meeting rooms is canceled until further notice, and people are asked to not return any materials that they have checked out. All due dates will be extended without accruing any overdue fees.

Ronan Library is closed as well, and canceled all of its library programs and events, including computer classes and story times until further notice. All items currently checked out will be given an automatic 3-week renewal.

Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell also made the decision on Sunday to cancel classes through March 29.

The Early Childhood Center will also be closed, but campus offices will remain open.

FVCC classes will resume March 30 through remote delivery.

To mitigate the impact of school closures on families, Bullock encourages all employers to be generous with their employee sick and paid leave policies during this time.

“I recognize that our schools often serve as a lifeline for families and that this decision is going to have disruption on Montanans over the coming weeks. I’m committed to working with schools, communities and public health to minimize the impact. I encourage businesses to do everything they can to support families as well,” Bullock said.

Bullock strongly recommends the public limits all gatherings, especially those with more than 50 people, in every community across the state. He also recommends that individuals over the age of 60 or who are immunocompromised or have chronic health conditions do not participate in gatherings of more than 20 people. He also recommends that parents should avoid, if possible, placing children for childcare with grandparents or individuals over the age of 60 or immunocompromised persons.

Visitation in Montana’s nursing homes is suspended except for certain compassionate care situations. People who meet the exception for visitation will undergo a screening to determine whether they have traveled in the last two weeks, are residing where community spread is occurring, or if they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.