Add as a preferred source on Google

Montana School Reopens With Safety Measures

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 05/11/20

Students at Willow Creek School in Montana returned to school on Thursday, reports CNN. The school, which serves between 50-60 students in grades K-12, is one of the first in the United States to reopen after schools shut down in March.

Some schools in Montana and in Idaho reopened last week with only a few weeks left until the summer break.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock allowed schools in the state to reopen as early as May 7, with the decision left up to local districts. Gallatin County, where Willow Creek is located, had 146 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death. Currently, there are no active cases in the county, reported CNN.

Bonnie Lower, superintendent at Willow Creek, says 76% of parents were in favor of reopening the school, according to a poll.

Some of the changes Willow Creek implemented included:  

  • Staff wear masks and carry pool noodles to measure distance between students.
  • Each student's temperature is taken at the door.
  • Students alternate when they are let out of class so there are fewer students in the hallways at once.
  • Common areas are being disinfected regularly.
  • Every classroom has hand sanitizer and wipes.
  • Bathrooms are used one at a time.
  • There are distancing marks on the playground.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • Malibu High School Campus Completes $102M Phase 1 of Construction

    Malibu High School in Malibu, Calif., recently announced that it has completed phase 1 of construction for its new campus, a news release reports. The first phase consisted of developing and modernizing the site of a former elementary school into a new, 70,000-square-foot, two-story facility.

Digital Edition