East Middle School is going to remote learning through Jan. 7 due to a power outage at the school, according to Great Falls Public Schools.

Superintendent Tom Moore told The Electric that district officials were notified on the morning of Jan. 3 that a primary electrical transformer at the school had failed, shutting down power to the entire building.

GFPS crews are working with NorthWestern Energy on solutions to the failure, Moore said.

School operated normally on Jan. 3, but “with cold weather approaching over the next few days, the administration has decided to move students and staff to remote learning for the remainder of the week. This will ensure adequate time for the proper equipment to be acquired and installed correctly,” Moore said.

The district sent letters to parents on Jan. 3 notifying them of the closure.

In the letter, officials wrote that students would receive their lessons through Goggle classroom and that Chromebooks are available for checkout to students who don’t have access to a computer. Staff will be available at East for Chromebook checkout from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Jan. 4, according to GFPS.

Grab and go lunches will be available at Paris Gibson Education Center Cafeteria from 11 a.m. to noon each day.

Parents with questions or those needing support services, including access to counselors during the closure, should call the East administration at 406-268-6500.