February 19, 2021 – Congratulations to Mr. Rex Weltz for being named Superintendent for the Helena Public Schools. Upon the culmination of two days of finalist interviews, Mr. Weltz was recommended and approved as the district’s next superintendent by the Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees. The Board will now enter into contract negotiations with Mr. Weltz as the final step in the hiring process. Mr. Weltz joined the Helena Public Schools this past summer as principal of Rossiter Elementary. Prior to joining HSD, Rex served as superintendent for the Polson School District in Polson, MT. from 2016 to 2020. He is the proud father of two sons and one daughter, and Papa to his grandson, William. Rex lives in the Helena area with the love of his life, Karla. The Helena Public Schools congratulates Mr. Weltz and we collectively look forward to his leadership for years to come. Additionally, we thank everyone that participated in the hiring process including finalist Dr. Kevin Aten. Dr. Aten is a gifted educator and leader, and we remain grateful for his interest in Montana, Helena, and our Helena Public Schools.
February 16, 2021 – The search for our next HSD Superintendent has been narrowed to two finalists. Both finalists, Mr. Rex Weltz and Dr. Kevin Aten, will be participating in finalist interviews on Friday, February 19th. This coming Thursday evening, February 18th, an Online Community Meet & Greet will take place from 7:30pm to 9:00pm. This hosted, online occasion (via Zoom) is intended to introduce the finalists to our Helena community and provide both candidates with an opportunity to introduce themselves and respond to a number of areas of inquiry. A feedback opportunity will also be associated with this meeting. We truly hope that you will be able to join for this important community event.
February 11, 2021 – The Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees selected two finalist candidates on Thursday in their ongoing search for a new superintendent. The finalists are Rex Weltz, the current principal of Rossiter Elementary School in Helena, and Dr. Kevin Aten, a superintendent in Colorado.
“We had great interviews with all of our semifinalists but ultimately felt that Dr. Kevin Aten and Mr. Rex Weltz were the strongest candidates to lead our district,” said Board Chairman Luke Muszkiewicz.
The board made the selections in a unanimous vote at a special public meeting Thursday afternoon, following two days of public interviews.
Aten has served as the superintendent of the Bayfield School District in Durango, Colo., a K-12 district of 1,400 students, since 2018. He holds a doctorate from University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
Weltz has served as the principal at a Rossiter, an elementary school of 450 students, since 2020. He was previously superintendent of the Polson School District in Polson, a K-12 district of 1,650 students, from 2016-2020. He holds a master’s degree from National University in California.
Finalists will meet district staff and students next Thursday, Feb. 18, in addition to speaking at an online community event that evening. Finalists will interview before the board on Friday morning, Feb. 19. Community event and interview details will be posted on the district web site once finalized and all are welcome to attend.
January 28, 2021 – As part of its ongoing superintendent search, the Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees has narrowed its field of 29 superintendent applicants to five semifinalists.
In a unanimous vote at a special public meeting on January 28, the board selected the following semifinalists:
Kevin Aten has served as the Superintendent of the Bayfield School District in Durango, Colorado, a K-12 district of 1,400 students, since 2018. He holds a doctorate from University of Northern Colorado, Greeley.
Keith Brown has served as the Superintendent of Taylor Independent School District in Taylor, Texas, a high school district of 3,100 students, since 2017. He holds a doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Joseph Koch has served as the Deputy Superintendent of the School District of Waukesha, Wisconsin, a K-12 district of 12,500 students, since 2014. He holds a doctorate from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
James Wagner has served as the Superintendent of Johnson County School District in Buffalo, Wyoming, a K-12 district of 1,700 students, since 2018. He is currently enrolled in a doctoral program through St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Rex Weltz has served as the Principal at a Rossiter School in Helena, Montana, an elementary school of 450 students, since 2020. He was previously Superintendent of the Polson School District in Polson, Montana, a K-12 district of 1,650 students, from 2016-2020. He holds a master’s degree from National University, California.
Semifinalist interviews will be held online and have been scheduled for February 10-11.
The board is working with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to recruit, interview, and select our next superintendent. Search consultants Dr. Carolyn McKennan and Dr. Jacki Horejs received 29 completed applications from qualified candidates.
January 2021 – The application window for our next superintendent has been closed, and 25 individuals have submitted applications. As for next steps, the search firm will narrow the field to a group of semifinalists by February, and interviews will be scheduled with the board of trustees for early next month. A list of semi-finalists will be released to the community at that time.
Following initial interviews, the most qualified candidates will participate in a second round of interviews followed by opportunities to get acquainted with our students, educators, families, and the community.
November 2020 – In concert with our search firm partner, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA), the Board of Trustees has finalized the Superintendent Search Profile including a document outlining desired characteristics for the optimal candidate. With the Superintendent position posted, the process has now entered the phase in which candidates will begin applying. With initial interviews tentatively scheduled for February 2021, applicants are encouraged to apply within the months of December and January. For additional information including the official posting, please visit HYA’s website at https://hyasearch.com/job/superintendent-helena-mt-2/.
