Sixteen Missoula private school pupils and their teacher have been forced to take refuge in a public school building, thanks to an uncooperative skunk.
The third- and fourth-grade pupils and teacher Karyn Sandstrom, from Missoula's Sussex School, set up temporary quarters Thursday morning in a modular classroom across town at Russell School after the foul-smelling varmint set up shop at the K-4 building on the West Side.
"We think it went under the foundation," said Thom Sanders-Garrett, the Sussex School director. "We haven't seen it, but we can smell it. ... The kids just couldn't function in there."
After the skunk invaded the building Tuesday, Sanders-Garrett contacted the Missoula County Public Schools District to see if there was any space available for his displaced third- and fourth-graders. Sanders-Garrett said he heard back almost immediately from Russell School principal Russ Lodge, who offered to house the Sussex kids in one of his school's modular classrooms, free of charge.
"We've got two modulars over here," Lodge said. "One of them is pretty busy and is used as our family resource center and by social workers. The other one we just use for music and orchestra, so we invited them to use that one."
Lodge said he viewed the offer to take in the Sussex students as an opportunity "to be a good neighbor." He also said that Russell will extend an opportunity to the Sussex kids to take part in the regular public school programs.
"We'll leave it up to them, but we will let them try to experience a few things they might not do at their own school," Lodge said, such as having physical education in a large gym, taking part in the school recess and buying a hot lunch.
As for the skunk, Sanders-Garrett said a crew of parent volunteers was working Thursday on trying to get rid of the unwanted visitor.
"We now have a crew of parents who are enlarging the tiny hole in the foundation where we think the skunk is," he said. "We're guessing it's probably building a nest in there."
If the parents are unsuccessful, Sanders-Garrett said a local skunk trapper has been contacted and could possibly be at the school Friday.
Sanders-Garrett said the students and Sandstrom would remain at Russell until the skunk is removed and the odor in the room diminishes.
Reporter Gary Jahrig can be reached at 523-5259 or at gjahrig@missoulian.com.
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