MISSOULA — After nearly a year, Missoula County Public School’s kindergarten through second grade students and all middle school students will be in the classroom at the same time beginning on Tuesday.
The MCPS Board made the decision to go back to full-time in-school learning four days a week following the release of a Global Harvard Institute Study showing students could be back in the classroom safely as long as a number of protocols were in place and followed.
Since then, the schools have been working on hiring staff, cleaning, disinfecting, and creating the space necessary to make the transition as safe as possible ahead of the Phase 2 reopening.
“In some situations, rearranging classrooms and furniture within the classroom. So in some situations, we may have swapped out the tables for desks or vice versa depending on the room configuration,” MCPS Superintendent Rob Watson explained.
Some students may also be eating lunch in different locations than normal to maximize social distancing.
Watson says they will continue to make modifications in the coming days and weeks to ensure the safest conditions possible.
