By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

About 16 percent of students at School District 6 have opted for remote learning as school started, with Glacier Gateway Elementary seeing the most, with about 100 students taking class remotely.

The numbers to date were revealed at Monday’s School District 6 Board meeting.

At Ruder Elementary, about 55 had initially opted for remote learning, but about 10 had already come back to school, principal Brenda Krueger said.

The junior high has 88 students remote learning, principal Ted Miller said and at the high school, there were about 100 students opting for remote learning as well, said principal Scott Gaiser.

Some families have opted for remote learning due to concerns about the coronavirus, while others are holding kids out because of the mask requirements at school, administrators noted.

The students don’t seem to mind wearing masks.

“The kids are tough,” said Gateway principal Penni Anello. “They’re way better than adults wearing masks.”

All told the numbers amount to about 343 or so students taking classes at home via the Internet.

At the high school, it means that some classes aren’t available, but students are getting the “core” classes to graduate, said Gaiser. They can also still get an honors diploma by taking additional classes through the Montana Digital Academy.

Gaiser noted that 11 more students have been quarantined this week, due to exposure to coronavirus.

Earlier this school year, about 28 were quarantined after a student tested positive for the illness. Under the school’s guidelines, students that have come within 6 feet of a known infection must quarantine, symptoms or not.

Overall enrollment is down for elementary grades. K-5 numbers are down about 54 over last year, but the junior high is flat. The high school is up or down, depending on how one looks at it.

Right now enrollment is at 647, which is up from 628 last June, but down from the 655 of August 2019.

The junior high has 512 students, Ruder has 455 and Gateway has 462.

All told, enrollment is about 2,076.