Montana Schools Reopen By Thursday After Coronavirus Lockdown: Is It Safe?

Some schools in Montana are set to reopen and welcome back students Thursday (May 7), making the state one of the firsts to resume the traditional classroom setting in America after a two-month coronavirus lockdown.

According to CNN, Cohagen Elementary School in Garfield County will welcome its 14 students from kindergarten to eighth grade on the said reopening day. Six students at the Cooke City Elementary School in Park County will also be back to the classroom Thursday.

Willow Creek School in the Gallatin County will also resume its on-site instructions for its 56 K-12 students and 18 staff members. According to school officials, there was a unanimous vote from the school board to reopen the school, with emphasis on the practice of social distancing.

It comes as the American Federation of Teachers said that schools reopening in the U.S. might bring a surge of infections and undo the measures that were done to stop the spread of the virus in the last two months.

"We’re not taking this lightly," District Superintendent Bonnie Lower, however, said. "We don’t want people to think we’re being irresponsible by making this choice. We’re trying to do what we feel is in the best interest of the students.”

Gallatin County had one of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in Montana at the start of the outbreak with 146. Currently, the county has no active cases, but it has one recorded COVID-19 death.

Lower said that it's advantageous for Willow Creek School to have a small number of the student body in its two-story building. However, one-quarter of these students have expressed the choice to continue with homeschooling; thus there will be fewer students coming back.

Willow Creek School will also require taking the temperatures of the students before they hop on the school bus. Their seats in the classrooms will be spaced six feet apart, while lunch schedules will be staggered per class so that there will be no crowding at the cafeteria. The students will also be asked to spend their recess on the football field as part of the social distancing measures.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Heather Gibson said that resuming on-site classes at Cohagen Elementary School will be a lot easier with just 14 kids. With two main rooms, a gym and a basement, the student can practice social distancing as much as possible.

Gov. Steve Bullock announced on April 22 that schools in Montana may welcome students May 7 as part of the first phase of the governor's plan to reopen the economy. It coincides with the resumption of church services and the return of retailers and restaurants.

Some Montana schools, however, have chosen to push the reopening by May 11 or May 18 despite the governor’s pronouncements. The schools are also looking at having the kids come to class on alternate days.