On Sunday, March 8, 2026, at approximately 12:00 PM, the Great Falls Public Schools Administration was informed that a portion of the roof at Lincoln Elementary School had torn off due to a severe wind event.
For safety and security reasons, Lincoln Elementary School will be closed for students on March 9th and 10th, while staff will report to an alternative location.
As a result of the wind damage, the building’s structure was significantly compromised, making it unfit for use at this time. In response, GFPS collaborated with Mr. Yates at Lincoln and the District Administration to devise both short- and long-term plans for students and teachers. This plan involves relocating students to different buildings to meet their educational needs. The aim is to keep classroom teachers and their students together for face-to-face instruction. Unfortunately, no other school within GFPS has the capacity to accommodate all of Lincoln’s classrooms together. The plan ensures that teacher teams and same-age students will be in their new locations together, with classes retaining the same teacher and classmates but relocating to different campuses.
Parent information meetings will be held in the gym at the Paris Gibson Education Center. These meetings will allow Mr. Yates and the District Administration to present the plan, provide updates on the building, and discuss short- and long-term plans.
At approximately 1:15 PM on Monday, GFPS sent out an update notifying the public that the building had been inspected, and they would be able to occupy the north end of the building.
The plan will be as follows:
Kindergarten through third grade, along with Mrs. Ferradas’s class, will remain at Lincoln Elementary School.
Fourth grade will relocate to Lewis and Clark.
Fifth and sixth grades will move to the Paris Gibson Education Center.
Thank you for your understanding as our plans adapt to new information from our community partners. School will still be canceled for Lincoln students through Tuesday, March 10. There will be parent meetings for families with students in grades 4-6 on Tuesday evening in the gym at the Paris Gibson Education Center, as previously scheduled. There will be no meeting for families with students in grades K-3.
Please stay tuned to The Great Falls Gazette as we will keep you updated as we receive more information throughout the week.
By Karen Anderson: March 9, 2026 – Great Falls, Mt
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
