Whitefish Middle School moves to fully remote instruction starting Monday due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Whitefish High School and Muldown Elementary will continue a hybrid model of instruction where students alternate days of on-site and remote instruction.

There is no school Thursday and Friday for all students as teachers will be attending a state educator conference remotely.

On Saturday, the district reported 16 confirmed cases in the three schools, nine of them at the middle school.

Before the decision, all students were set to return to 100% on-site instruction.

“The Whitefish School District convened the Covid Incident Command Team and District Covid Task Force Team (CTF) today due to a very significant increase in positive cases in all three schools and in the valley since Thursday...,” Whitefish Interim Superintendent Dave Means stated in a message sent to staff and families Saturday night.

On Sunday, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reported 1,001 active cases in Flathead County.

The hybrid model of instruction will continue in all schools until cases decrease over a period of time in the district and county, according to Means. He attributed a reduction in the number of people having to quarantine over the past few days to the hybrid model, which results in less people in buildings at one time.

“Please be advised that Whitefish Schools may need to transition to a remote only platform at any time due to staffing challenges and numbers of students directly impacted by COVID,” Means said.

The CTF plans to send out another update on Thursday.

“That communication will include metrics that will help guide what we need to see over time to return to full time in person instruction,” Means said.

“While we are continuing to see a significant increase in the number of positive cases in our valley we want to remind families and the community to please avoid large gatherings, stay home when you are sick, wear a face covering, stay socially distanced and wash your hands so that we can keep our students in school as much as possible,” he said.

Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.