Show your Helena pride, vote for schools

Don’t do it.

Please don’t mindlessly vote to reject these Helena Public School bonds again.

Voting against school bonds becomes a habit — a bad habit.

Communities that don’t invest in their children fail to thrive.

The two proposed school bond issues seek to make long overdue improvements to Helena High, Capital High, and PAL (Project for Alternative Learning) and rebuild Kessler Elementary.

We have not passed a high school bond issue for 28 years. We are in danger of quickly falling behind other communities that have made more timely investments in their local schools.

We must act now to give our students safe, secure, modern buildings and improved learning environments. I have studied the needs and carefully reviewed the school bond information. These are necessary and sound proposals to address long neglected school infrastructure needs. I will vote YES! on Sept. 9. I hope you will, too.

Please show your Helena pride and help us attract and retain families and businesses to our great town.

Thank you.

Dennis M. Taylor Helena

Published in the Helena IR, August 19, 2025

League of Women Voters support schools

At our 2025 State Convention, the League of Women Voters of the Helena Area voted, along with other Montana Leagues, to support a position “To promote efficient and equitable financing of public education, with the state funding its share of the cost, and to provide a high-quality public education, beginning in early childhood, which produces graduates with skills in critical thinking, reading, writing and mathematics and an understanding of democracy and how governments function.”

As many in our community know, right now our students at Helena High, Capital High, and Kessler Elementary learn in buildings with inadequate space, lighting, heating, and ventilation. This does not equate with a high-quality education, no matter the efficacy of the teaching. And when Helena High’s boiler fails, we’ll be forced to cram 2,400 high school students into Capital High on a split-day schedule. Students and teachers will face terrible challenges we could have prevented.

No help is forthcoming from the state to invest in our school facilities, give the PAL program adequate space, or upgrade the central kitchen that prepares meals for all of Helena’s students. It’s up to us. The plans are there. The community spirit is there. Our desire to provide the best environment for ALL our students and teachers is there.

We strongly support passage of these bonds and encourage all Helena’s citizens to vote “YES” on Sept. 9.

Find out more at helenaschoolbond.org.

Cherri Jones President, LWVHA

Published in the Helena IR, August 19, 2025

Letter to the editor: Time to fund Helena Schools adequately

Over past many decades, Helena taxpayers have funded school infrastructure less than every other similar school district in Montana except Billings, which holds the state record for underfunding schools.

Deferred maintenance has consequences.

For example, Helena High school, built 70 years ago, now has periodic rat and mice infestations, ceiling leaks and groundwater intrusion into some classrooms, a failing boiler, absent central air conditioning, windows that do not close fully in winter, and outer doors that must be opened for adequate ventilation in warm weather effectively defeating security. Asbestos persists in the floor tiles and insulation.

If a new Helena High School and assorted other building improvements in district schools remain unfunded, let me suggest some alternative actions to be taken without the improvements.

Helena High, as an example, could embrace the current conditions with curriculum additions. These might include a class during winter to study polar survival and physiology of hypothermia in the coldest classrooms. Or, during wet weather, rainwater and groundwater quality might be studied in water-affected classrooms. Asbestos and moisture prevalence offers an opportunity for training students interested in asbestos or mold removal certifications or careers. Most creatively, rats can be trained to provide a messenger service to those multiple classrooms that do not have functioning public address systems.

It is time to fund Helena Schools adequately.

Vote yes to support Helena schools in September.

John Mott

Helena

Published in the Helena IR, August 19, 2025

Strong local schools, strong community, strong Montana

By John Cech, retired President of Carroll College

Supporting education in our local communities isn’t just about investment in classrooms—it’s about investing in the foundation of our civic life and shared future.

As Dan Kemmis, former mayor of Missoula and leading civic thinker in Montana, has reminded us, “What holds people together long enough to discover their power as citizens is their common inhabiting of a single place.” When we strengthen our schools and colleges, we empower our citizens to build, sustain, and reimagine the Montana we call home.

Helena now stands at a critical crossroads with its upcoming school bond election. Our schools are not just centers of learning—they are the heart of our community, where future citizens and leaders are shaped.

Yet, our facilities show unmistakable signs of age and deferred maintenance; the average building across the district is over 70 years old, and Helena High School, for example, is plagued by crumbling infrastructure, failing boilers, and Kessler’s classrooms are separated by modular units and “eye-sore” fences.

Our dedicated teachers work valiantly within these constraints, but no amount of ingenuity can overcome leaky roofs, outdated heating systems, or unsafe access for students with disabilities.

New businesses scrutinize a community’s schools when deciding where to locate or expand. Helena lags behind every major Montana city in its investment in local education. Without up-to-date, safe, and inspiring learning environments, we cannot compete. Schools power local economies — not only through their teaching and administrative workforce, but also by anchoring families and providing the talent pipeline that employers depend on. Education isn’t just an expense; it’s the catalyst for a robust tax base and vibrant civic life.

We must remember: Students entering the trades need good schools. Those seeking two-year and four-year degrees, even aspiring graduate students, all begin their journey in our K-12 classrooms. For Helena to thrive—for us to ensure a future for our children and maintain a strong, competitive community—we must support our school district and commit to rebuilding and repairing our educational infrastructure.

The upcoming school bond isn’t just a number; it’s about giving Helena students safe, modern, and accessible schools.

It’s about ensuring that no child sits shivering in a stairwell during winter or faces barriers due to disability.

It’s about maintaining a sense of pride in our community and sending a clear message to employers, families, and future generations that Helena believes in opportunity, excellence, and civic responsibility.

As Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

I urge every Helena citizen: let’s vote Yes, and invest in the future Montana deserves.

We cannot simply ignore this crisis and stick our heads in the sand and hope it goes away.

John E. Cech, Ph.D. served as the president of Carroll College from 2018-June 30, 2025 and is the former Deputy Commissioner of Montana University System.

Published in the Helena IR, August 19, 2025

School bond is about an investment in Helena’s shared future

By Steve Thennis, retired Helena High School Principal

I spent my life in Helena Public Schools.

My wife and I and our children are all products of our school system. Professionally, I served 32 years at Helena High School, most recently as Principal. Being around such talented students was a gift that truly cannot be put into words. I am forever grateful to the educators who invested in my family’s education and to the community that supported us because of their investment in our public schools.

Early in my career at Helena High School, I was fortunate to be on staff when Helenans passed the last high school bond 28 years ago. As a teacher I was blessed with the addition of up-to-date science facilities. The newer facility upgrade was without question an asset in delivering the best instruction to our students and providing opportunity for academic achievement. The update was long overdue as teachers had taught science lessons in rooms without adequate power, running water, and gas outlets. Teachers and their students deserved better, and our community answered the call.

While that addition was a boost, the rest of the infrastructure at Helena High continued to deteriorate. In all the ways teachers and students benefitted from the addition of modern (at the time) science classrooms, the rest of the school felt – and continues to feel – the impact of a facility that can’t meet the moment.

Ill-equipped school buildings impact student achievement and classroom instruction. I lost count of the number of times we had to close or cancel classes due to failures of heating, plumbing or electrical. The stories that students bring home about insects, mice, pack-rats, ants, leaks, the occasional squirrel are, sadly, all true. Recently, a current student shared the story of how her and her friends refer to different hallways in the building based on their smell. Helena kids deserve better.

The quality of our facilities don’t just impact the classroom experience. My administrative career allowed me to work collaboratively across the state with many talented administrators. One of my favorite summer events was the yearly AA Principals conference. Each summer, one of the notable agenda items was the tour of an extensive renovation or entire new school building. I watched the excitement, and the great sense of pride administrators had when they showed us the new upgraded spaces, and the potential it held for their students’ achievement. Reality was, there were no such tours for Helena’s high schools.

I remember standing in front of an opposing coach and her team after a tough volleyball playoff loss to Helena High School to explain that there was only a working showerhead in the locker room. They turned and boarded the bus. Another time, an administrator from another Montana AA district told me “Steve, nobody looks forward to competing in Helena” followed by a chorus of laughter from the rest of the group. Not very prideful moments.

This bond is not simply about bricks and mortar. This bond is about an investment in our shared future. Despite our facilities, our students have accomplished exceptional academic and athletic achievements because of our talented and dedicated teaching staff. Just imagine what they could achieve if they had access to safe, secure, and modern facilities.

Like the generations that came before us, it’s time to make a new investment in our future by ensuring our students have buildings to learn in that reflect their worth and potential. Just as the yard-signs around the community say, “The Time Is Now.”

Vote yes on both the Helena high school and elementary school bonds.

Steve Thennis is a former principal at Helena High School.

Published in the Helena IR, August 19, 2025

‘Outdated learning environments’: Helena district asks voters for $238M for aging schools

By Sonny Tapia

Editor’s Note: This story is the first in a three-part series regarding the upcoming school bond election on Sept. 9, with ballots set to be mailed Aug. 22.

The Helena Public Schools board of trustees unanimously voted in June to present $283 million in bond issues to voters to address three schools with aging facilities.

Helena and Capital high schools and Kessler Elementary School would be impacted by the bonds, if passed by voters on Sept. 9. Ballots will be sent out Aug. 22 and must be received by the Lewis and Clark County Elections office by 8 p.m. Sept. 9.

“Across our Helena Public Schools, our buildings are aging — the average facility is over 70 years old — and decades of deferred maintenance have taken a toll,” district officials said. “Failing systems, outdated learning environments: if our buildings could speak, they’d be telling us that they can’t keep up with the needs of our students.”

Helena High School, 1300 Billings Ave., would be replaced as a part of the high school district’s $240 million bond cut if voters decide to pursue the district’s ask.

If the bonds pass, the tax impact on homeowners of a $100,000 home would be about $85 annually, on a $300,000 home would be about $260 annually and on a $500,000 home would be roughly $470 annually.

Students at the high school have cited multiple times in public comment portions of meetings, public and other gatherings that the school was infested with bugs that scurried around students sitting on the floor, plants growing through cracks in classrooms and crumbling infrastructure.

During the 2024-2025 school year, the high school had just under 1,000 students.

One of the biggest talking points among administrative staff and community members has been the school’s boiler system.

Three boilers operate the school’s heat throughout winters that plummet to minus 30 degrees, if not colder. Currently, only two boilers are in operational status, with one teetering on the brink of failure.

Todd Verrill, facilities director for the school district, has said it is not a matter of “if” the boiler fails, but “when.”

“That means I’ll have to put Helena kids in Capital (High School) from 6 a.m. to noon, then the next group of students would be in from noon until 6 p.m.,” Superintendent Rex Weltz said during a June 10 board meeting.

Verrill added the two high schools have about $50 million total in deferred maintenance.

Helena High School would be completely rebuilt, possibly on its current parking lot, officials said.

Kessler Elementary School, 2420 Choteau St., is the district’s oldest school following the closure of Hawthorne, officials said, and would be rebuilt possibly on the soccer field to move it off U.S. Highway 12.

During a June 26 tour of the nearly 90-year-old building, school officials highlighted the need for a rebuilt school, citing its separation due to a modular unit toward the back of the campus and an “eye sore” of a fence placed on the highway side of the school to keep students away from traffic.

“It wasn’t designed to last for 89 years. Schools are typically designed to last probably between 50 and 70 years,” he said. “Kessler has had seven major remodels or additions over the years.”

During the tour, Principal Riley Thatcher said students in classes that used the district’s breakout opportunities would sit with coats in stairwells during the winter.

Besides coats in stairwells and a safety concern of having students too close to U.S. Highway 12, Americans with Disabilities Act issues were added to conversations throughout the district during the tour and meetings with the board.

There are no elevators in Kessler, which impeded some students’ ability to access classrooms.

“We could install elevators, but does that make the most sense in an older building?” Weltz said.

In order to accommodate students with disabilities, Thatcher said, “We’ve done it in the past with a broken leg, so this teacher would have to trade with somebody upstairs.”

Capital High School would see a heavy renovation due to its “good bones;” it would not need to be demolished and rebuilt.

The bonds wouldn’t only impact the two high schools and elementary school. Project for Alternative Learning (PAL) would also get a new facility, as it’s currently outgrowing its present facility, according to Weltz.The school district’s kitchen, now located at Capital, would be moved to allow for more space and accessibility, officials said.

The district could see a new competition field for the high schools and hold state tournaments along with soccer at Vigilante Stadium.

Deferred maintenance across the district has reached over $110 million due to a lack of upkeep on the district’s needs over time and a lack in adequate state funding, according to the district.

“I don’t have enough money to ever catch up with deferred maintenance or with additions, or you know, renovations, or any of those things,” Verrill said. “I can’t afford to make do with the money I have.”But, if bonds pass, SMA Architecture and Design officials said 43% of the maintenance would be covered, shrinking the total to roughly $62.7 million.

SMA is an architectural firm with offices in Helena that helped the district formulate a facilities master plan over a multi-year period. The plan was meant to act as a road map for the board of trustees when thinking about the long-term validity of the district.During a tour of Helena High, architectural firm officials added inflationary construction costs would continue to rise based on projections.

“If people are struggling with the amount (of the bonds), then it’s certainly not going down,” SMA Partner Tim Meldrum said. “… It’s the probability of something worse happening, meaning system failures or something like that where it’s less useable.”

Due to the inability to legally advocate for the bonds, Yes! for Helena Schools along with the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce took the reins for campaign efforts in support of the school district.Events like Brown Bags and Bonds, Bonds and Brews and school tours have allowed the public to see firsthand what students, teachers and staff have talked about.

“It was really important for us this year to get involved with this. We’ve endorsed levies in the past, and we endorsed the bonds back in 2017, but this year we wanted to play a much more active role because our school system and our school district really impacts economic development and business success in Helena,” Callie Aschim, CEO of the chamber, said.She called the school system the “heart” of communities and added statistically when school districts are strong, communities are strong.

“If you invest in your kids, what has historically shown is that kids then come back and invest in their communities,” Aschim said.Despite support for the bonds from various groups, the issues remained in contention for some community members.

Craig Martin, a community member and district parent, said he felt the school district has failed its students through the education system.

Martin added there was no way he would be supporting the bonds on the Sept. 9 ballot. “Hell no,” he said.

Martin had gripes with his property taxes rising without the money going toward student accountability. He paid between $15,000 and $18,000 per year in property taxes, but has not seen the benefits in the school system.

He has four children who’ve went through the Helena school district, with one in high school, but said if he could do it all over again they would go to a private school like St. Andrews Catholic School.Some high schoolers that come to his business for summer jobs could not do basic math, he said.

“Our schools have turned into a joke in Helena,” Martin said.

During the first Bonds and Brews gathering, Weltz spoke about the issues within the district and a time frame.”If we have a successful bond and we pass that Sept. 9, we have three years to get through Helena High to maintain that building so that we can get into a new building in the fall of 2028,” Weltz said. “… We haven’t failed over and over for years … data shows the Helena community has passed levies for years. We just recently had a couple that didn’t, so I wouldn’t say Helena collectively doesn’t support schools, because that’s not the case.”

Coming next: What the bonds would do for the Helena Public Schools district and its three schools.

Photo credits:

Superintendent Rex Weltz speaks to a crowd of people during a Bonds and Brews event July 15, holding a piece of pipe that came out of Helena High School. SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordAttendees of a Helena High School tour view the boiler system at the school July 22.

SONNY TAPIA, Independent RecordRiley Thatcher, principal of Kessler Elementary School, leads a tour of the school on June 26.
THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record

CEO of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce Callie Aschim speaks during a July 15 Bonds and Brews event ahead of a Sept. 9 bond vote for the Helena Public Schools district.

SONNY TAPIA, Independent Record

Published in the Helena IR, August 12, 2025

Letter to the editor: Vote yes on the school bond

My name is Jackson, and I am going into the eighth grade at Helena Middle School this year.

Next year I will be going to Helena High School, and that is an interesting thought.

After hearing about the fact that students of Helena High must wear their coats inside classrooms, and see pests like mice wandering the building, I look forward to the time when I am a freshman and really don’t feel good about going there.

Almost every day, my parents tell me to work hard at school. High school is a main step from childhood to adulthood, and you need to work hard to achieve a diploma and get good grades, and when your high school building is on the verge of collapsing, it makes it hard to sit down and put in maximum effort.

Sometimes, people need to put the common good of the community first, to help pave the way for future leaders.

Please consider voting yes on the school bond and helping the next generation have schools that aren’t falling down.

Jackson Reed,

Helena

Published in the Helena IR, August 12, 2025

Pass the Helena school bonds and leave a legacy to be proud of | Opinion

MONTANA ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
JAY REARDON, MOFFIE FUNK and AL EKBLAD

We represent the Montana chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans, a coalition of retired educators, construction workers, state and federal government workers, and community leaders.

We exist to educate and engage retired Montanans on important issues facing our communities and how we can create a stronger, brighter future for all Montanans.

Everyone loves their neighborhood school. The pride we feel in the schools we go to and the communities we build around them is universal. And Helena Public Schools consistently perform at a high level when it comes to graduation rates and student achievement.

But not all our school buildings reflect that excellence or match the pride we feel in our community.

This September, Helena voters have the chance to weigh in on two bonds. One is a high school bond that will rebuild Helena High and Project for Alternative Learning, fund critical upgrades at Capital High, and build a new, adequately-sized and outfitted central kitchen that feeds every student. The other bond will rebuild Kessler, currently Helena’s oldest functioning school at 89 years old and in a state of great disrepair.

Building a stronger future has a price tag, but the return on our investment is invaluable. Fortunately, bonds are a chance for our community to come together and decide how we want to spend our resources. Investing in our schools has a guaranteed return rate of a stronger community, better educational outcomes, and a way to encourage the next generation to one day live, work, and raise a family here. If we don’t make this investment for our kids and grandkids, who will?

Those of us who have benefitted from decades of prior investment in schools now need to look to the future.

These two bonds will fund a fiscally responsible plan to ensure our schools are safe, secure, and adequate to provide our students the future they deserve. If we don’t act now, Helena will continue to fall behind other communities across Montana who have made recent investments in their schools, building state-of-the-art facilities like Career and Technical Education classrooms that prepare students for the careers of the future.

Retired Montanans have worked hard. We’ve raised our kids, invested in our community, and closed out successful careers. Now it’s time to look toward our children’s children and beyond.

Let’s pass these two Helena school bonds and leave a legacy we can be proud of.

Jay Reardon, Montana Alliance for Retired Americans president; Moffie Funk, secretary, and Al Ekblad, treasurer

Published in the Helena IR, August 12

‘Vote yes!’: Over 100 supporters rally for upcoming Helena Public Schools bonds

Bearing signs and chanting, “The time is now,” over 100 people urged the public to vote in favor of a Helena Public Schools bond in a Monday street rally.

“Vote yes!” attendees shouted on cue. Kids with campaign stickers across their chests held up a banner behind a propped-up microphone.

The rally centers on an upcoming $283 million bond, which will be voted on Sept. 9 by the public. Ballots will be mailed out Aug. 22.

The bond would rebuild Helena High School, renovate Capital High School and rebuild Kessler Elementary School. In costs, owners of a $100,000 home would see about $85 more in taxes annually, a $300,000 home would see about $260 more annually, and on a $500,000 home, there’d be roughly $470 more annually.

The campaign pushing for the vote is called Yes! for Helena Schools.

An aging boiler threatens to combine Helena and Capital high schools, putting the schools on a split shift that would “wreak havoc,” speakers said.

Bugs and mice infestations interrupt class, Helena High social studies teacher Lauren Gustafson said.

Lauren Gustafson speaks at a rally for the Helena Public Schools bond outside Helena High School on Aug. 4. The organization, Yes! for Helena Schools, hosted the event to urge voters to support the bond for the high school and elementary districts in the upcoming Sept. 9 election.

THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record

Poor ventilation makes classrooms so hot, science experiments can’t be held. In the winter, she has students bundled in blankets. With too small a cafeteria, she’s seen students eat in hallways, classrooms and corners of the campus.

Helena High student Brock Gardipee, a National Honor Society member and varsity soccer player, said he felt embarrassed when visiting teams saw the state of his school.

“Most of us can’t vote, so we need you to do it for us,” Gardipee said.

Throughout the rally, over 100 attendees spilled onto the road in front of Helena High. A semi drove by and honked in support.

While parents, students and teachers call for improvements, Helena Public Schools’ history shows the public is less enthusiastic.

It’s been 28 years since Helena Public Schools passed a high school bond, campaigners report. In 2024, voters shot down three levies meant to improve technology and safety and offset a $2 million budget deficit.

In the following months, 38 positions across Helena Public Schools were cut to handle the deficit. Some frustrated commenters said voters weren’t willing to help.

“The public had the ability to control this result,” one teacher said when cuts were approved. “The teachers have no choice. The public did.”

Part of the push is getting voters to realize the impacts of schools on Helena at large, campaign committee board member Rachel Howard said.

Callie Aschim, Helena Area Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO, told rallygoers that good schools bring good business.

When schools are strong, they push Helena’s students to be better and bring their better futures back to their hometown, she said.

If the schools aren’t attractive, Helena’s families may choose to go elsewhere, she added.

Combining the high schools would make after-school programs “almost impossible,” Helena High head football coach and PE teacher Dane Broadhead said.

Traffic would double around Capital High School, and new pickup and drop-off times could clash with parents’ work schedules and commute.

Over a dozen student-athletes attended the rally, bearing their team memorabilia. Students organized on their own, Broadhead said.

“They care,” he said. “They’re driving this themselves.”

After the rally, volunteers will knock on doors, make phone calls and hand out yard signage, Howard said. The board has raised $76,000, she said, and she estimates hundreds of hours have gone into the campaign.A website, yesforhelenaschools.com, was created to gather donations and explain the cause.

Published in the Helena IR on August 5, 2025

Stop patching. Start building. It’s time to get real about Helena’s schools

Helena’s public schools are falling apart.

While other AA school districts in Montana — Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell — have stepped up and built modern schools, Helena is still relying on buildings that are literally crumbling.

Helena High was built in 1955. Capital High in 1965. Kessler Elementary? 1936.

On average, schools in the Helena School District are 70 years old. These buildings were designed for a different era and no longer meet the needs of today’s students. They weren’t built for modern technology, current safety codes, or basic accessibility. Despite repeated repairs and temporary fixes, some of these facilities are no longer sustainable. Between the two high schools, Helena and Capital High, there is about $51 million of deferred maintenance.

Helena High School has the most issues: the steam heating system, encased in asbestos-laden concrete, barely functions. Classrooms regularly flood during heavy rain. Mice infest the walls. Silverfish line the floors. It’s revolting to imagine students spending over seven hours a day in these conditions. Some rooms are overheated, others freezing — learning environments that shouldn’t be tolerated in any professional workplace, let alone a school.
Capital High School needs extensive renovations to bring its interior into the 21st century, creating learning environments that meet modern standards for safety, accessibility, and technology.
Kessler is nearly 100 years old. Enough said.

Even with all this, our students and teachers are still performing above average. But how long can they keep that up in buildings that are falling apart around them?

If the boiler at Helena High gives out — and it’s close — 1,200 kids will have nowhere to go. Capital High is already packed. Cramming students in would blow up class sizes, overwhelm teachers, and throw the whole district into chaos. Transportation, sports, activities — everything takes a hit.

This isn’t a drill. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

This fall, voters will be asked to approve two school bonds:

A high school bond to build a new Helena High and update Capital High
An elementary bond to build a new Kessler Elementary

This isn’t about making things “nice.” It’s about making things work. Right now, we’re spending millions just to keep broken systems barely functioning. That’s money wasted on buying time we no longer have.

Approving these bonds means:

Lower construction costs locked in before inflation gets worse
Safe, modern schools for our kids
No more band-aids on broken buildings

This is a turning point. We either invest now, or we pay more later — in dollars, in learning, and in lost opportunity.

As a proud member of Helena High’s Class of 2023 — valedictorian, student-athlete, and active participant in music and student leadership — I know firsthand that our schools are more than just places to learn. They’re spaces where students grow, connect, and find opportunities that shape their futures.

The experiences I had in those halls has helped shape who I am today. But even then, it was clear the buildings were aging fast. Classrooms weren’t equipped for modern learning, and basic infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the needs of students and staff. I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be now.

Investing in our schools isn’t just about fixing buildings, it’s about giving the next generation the better chances and more opportunities to thrive, lead, and succeed.

Let’s stop patching. Let’s start building.

Our students deserve better — now, not someday.

Kalley May

Published in the Helena IR on August 5, 2025