School closed throughout Flathead County

Schools throughout Flathead County, including Columbia Falls and most of the large districts, are closed Thursday due to threats received via text message. Flathead Valley Community College also announced a closure.

The story unrolled late Wednesday night when Columbia Falls School District canceled today’s classes due to apparent threats made toward the district. In a Facebook post at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the district stated that “due to several threats and the safety of our students and staff there will be no school tomorrow for Columbia Falls School District.”

As of 7:15 a.m., according to the Flathead County superintendent of schools’ website, only two small districts have not declared closures. The schools currently still scheduled to be open are Pleasant Valley and Somers-Lakeside. Among private schools, only St. Matthew’s is listed as open. It’s possible some or all of those districts may close as well, and parents should check websites and social media for updates, as well as this newspaper.

Mark Flatau, superintendent of Kalispell Public Schools, sent parents a message explaining the decision to close school in Kalispell:

“Wednesday evening, Columbia Falls School District received threats via text messages that specifically targeted schools in their district. As the evening progressed, other districts in our area were included in or received additional threats which included Kalispell Public Schools.

“For the safety and best interest of our students and staff, the KPS will be closed on Thursday, September 14, 2017. Area law enforcement agencies are working diligently to solve this matter.”