Weather impacts local school openings

Most local schools that were planning to be open today announced they would have late starts with several altering or canceling morning buses.

The North Star School District with high school in Rudyard and the elementary in Gildford announced Sunday that it would have a late start today, with classes at 10 a.m., and announced this morning that no morning buses would run.

The district said in a release Sunday that, due to the extreme cold temperatures and prioritizing the health and safety of students and staff the North Star School would be running a delayed start.

With the delayed start, the school will not be providing breakfast, the release added.

A release this morning announced the cancellation of morning buses. Information about afternoon bus routes will be sent as soon as it is finalized. 

CJI schools announced Sunday that due to the cold weather and to put students and staff first, it would delay the start of school until 10:15 a.m., with the school release at the normal time of 3:39. Bus routes will run two hours late. Breakfast will be available at 9:30 a.m.

Beyond the Bell will be available at 9:30 a.m. but people are asked not to send children before 9:30 a.m.

The Sunday release said that, as the weather was expected to warm up by afternoon, extracurricular activities and Missoula Children’s Theatre would continue today as scheduled.

Big Sandy Schools also announced Sunday it would have a delayed start and no buses this morning due to the extreme cold.

“Thank you for supporting this decision as it was made to keep our students and staff safe,” a post on the Big Sandy Schools live feed said.

Box Elder Schools closed and canceled activities Friday due to the cold and road conditions, and basketball games scheduled for Saturday, and said in its announcement that schools were closed today for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Harlem schools also were taking a 10 a.m. start today with only in-town buses running and no rural routes running this morning. The school also posted that basketball games versus Rocky Boy High School had been postponed.

Rocky Boy schools also made an announcement Sunday that school would be delayed to 9 a.m. today and no morning buses would run.

No one answered at Hays-Lodge Pole school district or high school and Havre Daily could not find any online announcements from the district.

Turner Public Schools announced on Facebook Sunday it would have a late start, at 10 a.m., and morning buses will run two hours later than normal.

Havre Public Schools also were closed today in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.