PARK CITY — For students walking through the doors of Park City School on Monday morning, it felt less like mid-February and more like the first day of school.
After nearly two months of remote learning and temporary classrooms, all students in the small community are back in the building following environmental clearance and extensive cleanup tied to a December windstorm.
Watch the story here:
“It's like first day of school again. We get it twice this year. It's fantastic," said Superintendent Dave Whitesell.
Freshmen Daliah Merrill, Ruby Bekkedahl, Mia Gill, and Braelynn Montrelli were excited as they headed to class.
“We were on like online for like two months, and now we're back," said Merrill.
"I still got to see a lot of my friends from basketball just because basketball practices every day, but other than that, I still kind of missed seeing everyone," Bekkedahl added.
A severe windstorm on Dec. 17 tore the roof off the school gym, scattering vermiculite insulation containing asbestos across the school grounds and into nearby yards. The school closed for abatement while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began removing contaminated material from about 15 nearby homes, as well as surrounding streets and alleyways. Cleanup in the neighborhood is ongoing.
Related: EPA investigating asbestos spreading into Park City neighborhoods after windstorm
High school and middle school students transitioned to online learning, while elementary students attended classes at alternate locations in town. Environmental testing confirmed the school is now safe for students and staff to return.
Related: Park City students return to classrooms after environmental clearance
"We got the clearance last week, which gave us some time to get the teachers into their classrooms, put things back together," said Whitesell. "There was obviously a lot of movement. Floor is shampooed, whole nine yards."
Whitesell said insurance will cover the majority of cleanup and restoration costs, which have reached $1.94 million so far and are expected to exceed $2 million. The district is responsible for a $2,500 deductible.
For students, however, Monday was less about the numbers and more about being together again. Senior Landon Downing said the day brought back familiar nerves and excitement.
“Like how everyone's excited for the first day of school, that's how I feel today," said Downing. "It's something I was looking forward to.”
In a school with fewer than 200 students, the social aspect was one of the hardest parts of being away, said seniors Macy Witt, Jordan Stepper, and Emmie Bartholomew.
"Especially your senior year, you were able to see your friends every day, and that couldn't happen," said Stepper.
“Definitely mixed emotions. I was excited to come back to see my friends, but not really about the schoolwork necessarily," added Bartholomew.
Online learning worked for most but came with challenges.
"It's not the same, and you can't ask the same questions," said Witt. "It's just a lot more challenging."
“I feel like you kind of learn the same amount you do at school, but less hours. You could be in your pajamas all day," added Merrill.
Middle school math and English teacher Lindsay Witt said returning to in-person instruction brings both relief and concern, especially as students are increasingly utilizing AI. She also worries some students may have fallen behind.
"I think we'll discover really fast now that we're back who actually did the work and who used ChatGPT to help,” said Witt. "I'm a little bit worried. We're a little bit behind pace-wise where we were supposed to be during the year."
Still, she said, staff are focused on helping students regain their footing.
"We did the best under the circumstances we were given, but there's nothing like having the in-person learning," said Witt.
Work at the school continues. The gym remains under construction, forcing basketball teams to practice and compete at nearby schools in Laurel and Fromberg, as well as at Special K Ranch. The playground is closed while gravel is replaced, and additional testing will continue in the coming weeks.
But on Monday, those concerns faded into the background during a day of celebration.
“You just realize that sometimes you take it for granted not being in school until it's taken away from you," said Downing. "It's nice to be back.”
“Sometimes with these kind of things, it can divide a community, it can cause some hostilities," said Whitesell. "But not in Park City, Montana.”
