GREAT FALLS — After acquiring the former Roosevelt Elementary School building in 2022, Alluvion Health has now partnered with Opportunities, Inc., to upgrade the building so it can be utilized for infant and toddler childcare services.
With the support of funding from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services designated to increase childcare slots in the community, the first floor of the building was upgraded to support Opportunities, Inc’s Head Start program.
The program provides care for children from six weeks to three years old. The building was renovated to accommodate infant and child care, like installing new floors, windows, a toddler playground, and accessibility ramps.
Opportunities, Inc’s services are no cost to the families that qualify, and the new space will allow them to provide more slots for early childhood education.
Opportunities, Inc’s Deputy Director for Early Childhood Services and Program Operations Bev Matsco says, “We had a complete rebuild of our boiler at our Emerson facility, and we were desperately in need of a place. Alluvion really stepped up as a community partner and offered the space here at Roosevelt. We know that there's a lack of affordable child care services, and especially for the infant toddler age group, It's so costly to provide that care. And so we're just very excited to provide this. And we're looking for additional opportunities in the future to bring more affordable child care services”.
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Built in 1927, the building was decommissioned from the Great Falls School District in 2018, and eventually bought by Alluvion Health.
Alluvion Health’s Vice President of Community Impact Kate Nessan says the plan for the building was always to house childcare services while maintaining the historic building.
Nessan explains, “It feels really great to have kids back in here and to see the excitement back into the building. It has always been the intention to maintain the integrity of the building and the history of the building. People love the Roosevelt School, and Alluvion Health does too”. Alluvion health is now working on longer term plans to utilize the second and third floors of the building.
You can learn more about Opportunities, Inc’s Head Start services here.
(JUNE 1, 2018) Friday marked the end of the 90th and final year at Roosevelt Elementary School. Next year, the students, teachers, and staff will move to a new location at Giant Springs Elementary School.
Roosevelt is currently the oldest operating building in Great Falls Public Schools. The school needed many upgrades and ultimately it was decided that it would be better to move to a new location.
The school held their annual end of the year ceremony today, where awards were presented to teachers moving on in their career as well as teachers ending their career with retirement.
The teachers ended the ceremony with a dance and replacing their Roosevelt Elementary t-shirts with brand new Giant Springs t-shirts.
Every year, the 6th grade students at Roosevelt who will move to a new school the next school year, end their final day at the school with a parade around the halls and out the building to receive their final high fives from fellow classmates and teachers.
This year, since it was everyone’s final day at the school, all students got to receive their final high fives at the school.
Rhonda Zobrak, Principle of Roosevelt Elementary said, “This year we just wanted to make it special for everyone, because of course the kindergarten through fifth graders don’t have that opportunity to come down this set of stairs since it’s their school too. So, we just extended it to include everyone.”
It is not yet known what will happen to the building.
Students will start their next school year at Giant Springs Elementary on August 29th.
