Precautionary Evacuation Conducted at Dillon Elementary Following Power Outage

DILLON — Dillon Elementary School District #10 conducted a precautionary evacuation Wednesday afternoon after a power outage impacted communications and raised safety concerns within the school buildings.

According to Superintendent Randy Shipman, the outage occurred at approximately 2 p.m. and caused the district’s phone system and messaging services to become unavailable, preventing staff from immediately notifying families about the situation.

Shipman said the outage was traced to an electrical shortage in the school kitchen. Following the incident, staff members searched the buildings and determined that students and staff should evacuate as a precautionary safety measure.

“While we would typically notify parents immediately, our primary focus at that time was ensuring the safety and well-being of all students and staff,” Shipman said in a statement shared with families.

Emergency responders from the Dillon Police Department, Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, Dillon Volunteer Fire Department, and Montana Highway Patrol assisted during the evacuation process.

School buildings were safely cleared and students were dismissed without incident. No injuries were reported.