High school schedule now set
The Columbia Falls High School from the air. The roof over the classroom wing, at left, is being replaced.
By CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News
The Columbia Falls High School will temporarily hold some classes at Canyon Elementary School and Glacier Gateway School as a stopgap measure this fall.
The school must do that as work to rehabilitate most of the classroom wing of the school will continue into October. The classroom wing was heavily damaged by rain as the wing’s roof was largely open as contractors were replacing the roof, flooding the building.
School officials said only a minimal number of tarps were used, which resulted in the flooding.
Swank Enterprises, the general contractor on the project, did not immediately respond for a comment as to why the roof was largely left open during a rainstorm on July 30-31 that dropped about 2 inches of rain on Columbia falls.
As such, many of the classrooms, about 22 total, will have to be rehabbed by restoration crews before they are fit for instruction. Crews will also have to do asbestos abatement in some areas as the tiles got wet and are now crumbling.
The school will hold an informational session for parents and the public on the schedule change at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 (Thursday) in the high school.
The school will implement a block schedule for periods one through six.
Students must take the bus to and from the Canyon School. The district will also provide transportation to and from Glacier Gateway.
All told, five social studies classes will be held at Glacier Gateway, while English, Science, French, business and home economics classes will be held at the Canyon School, a total of 15 classes.
The main high school will have one science class (Jamie Heinz’s class), math, choir, band, welding and woodshop, gym, art, reading and Spanish classes.
The school is expecting to have the classroom wing back for use by Oct. 25, superintendent Cory Dziowgo said.
At this point, there is no option for remote learning.
“We are focused on providing face-to-face instruction,” he said.
He said the additional costs of busing due to the damage will be submitted to the school’s insurance, but there still is no decision on liability concerning the flooding.
The story has been modified from its original version. The date of opening is Oct. 25 and we added an attempt to reach comment from Swank Construction.