MCPS

The preliminary injunction sought by Stand Up Montana and several other plaintiffs against the Missoula County School District was denied on Friday after noon by District Court Judge Jason Marks.

Missoula District Court Judge Jason Marks heard arguments on Wednesday morning in the case of Stand Up Montana vs. Missoula County Public Schools on the matter of mandatory masking of students as a possible violation of the parents’ Constitutional rights.

Missoula attorney Quentin Rhoades has filed a lawsuit in Missoula District Court on behalf of Stand Up Montana and several local parents to rescind the mask mandate at Missoula public schools as the new school year is about to get underway.

A small but enthusiastic group of parents, grandparents and children stood on the sidewalk adjacent to the Missoula County Public School Administration building on South Avenue on Tuesday afternoon asking for their children to have a choice about whether or not to wear a mask in school.

Missoula County Public Schools will start slowly while they roll out the transition into Phase 2 with students in school four days a week.

The Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees decided at their Tuesday night meeting to upgrade participation for students in the next semester.

Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Watson said this week that there is no move afoot to return to Phase Zero, which is 100 percent remote learning, despite the rapidly increasing number of positive COVID 19 cases.

The first full week of Missoula public school is in the books and to say it has been different from other first weeks is a definite understatement.

Watching the COVID 19 case numbers from the County Health Department carefully, Missoula County Public School Superintendent Rob Watson has determined that the safest way to start the school year is in Phase 2, or the Hybrid method.

Following the latest MCPS School Board meeting, Superintendent Rob Watson revealed details of the district’s phased reopening of Missoula Public Schools.