Havre School Board votes to keep distanced learning

The Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees voted unanimously this afternoon to keep its distanced learning program in place rather than returning to in-classroom teaching.'

Gov. Steve Bullock ordered all public schools March 15 to move to distanced learning and close their classrooms to reduce the chance of students, faculty and staff being exposed to the novel coronavirus 2019 that causes COVID-19, a highly contagious disease that can cause serious illness and death.

He later issued directives including a stay-at-home order restricting all people to essential travel and business only and ordered non-essential businesses to close to slow the spread of the virus.

Bullock ordered last week that the state would go into Phase One of a reopening plan including schools being given the option to re-open their classrooms May 7.

The bishops of the Montana diocese ordered Monday that all Catholic paraochial schools including St. Jude Thaddeus School in Havre stay in distanced-learning mode and keep their classrooms closed.

Watch for more in Wednesday's edition of the Havre Daily News.