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Dear Families, Staff, and the Helena Community,
Earlier this week, Principal Brett Zanto informed me of his decision to retire as Principal of Capital High School at the end of the 2025/2026 school year. His final day will be June 30th.
We are excited for Brett to step into retirement and his future life endeavors, and we are grateful for his remarkable service to our district and in public education. His connection to Helena Public Schools runs deep. As a proud graduate of Capital High, Brett’s career started to come full circle when he returned to Helena as a teacher and coach at Capital 22 years ago, a rewarding tenure as an Assistant Principal at Helena High, and then returning to the Westside to lead Capital High as Principal since 2013.
As we move into the process of finding the next leader of Capital High, we know that Brett’s impact will carry on into the future. Congratulations, and thank you, Principal Zanto.
On another note, we have quite a bit going on in the district, per usual. You can find a plethora of information of the ongoings below, and please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.
Sincerely,
Rex Weltz, Superintendent
Helena Public Schools
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**View the FB live from the January 7 Brews and Blueprints event HERE.
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01/11-01/17 Recap:
Bonds: The $31.5 million Helena ESD and $130.0 million Helena HSD that were advertised in the Independent Record and on our website, sold within 30 minutes of their offering (in $5,000 increments) through D.A. Davidson on November 20, 2025.
The true interest cost rates on the 2025 Bond issues were favorable at 4.18% and 4.41%, respectively, which are lower than the 4.75% and 4.95% projected rates used for the taxpayer impact estimates at the time of the elections. The savings in interest costs (at 57% of the Bonds having been issued) was about $9.9 million.
HHS + Project for Alternative Learning (PAL) Project: Week 12
CHS Project: Week 10
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Slate Architecture + RTA Updates:
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Capital High School’s existing architectural background floor plans and elevations are nearing completion.
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Design Advisory Group (DAG) Meeting No. 3 on Jan. 13th.
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Board of Trustees Meeting, Tuesday, January 13th
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All Staff Meeting Jan. 14th.
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Developing options for Summer 2026 work packages.
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CTE equipment area analysis and space requirements.
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Develop a recommendation for the preferred design options and site plan.
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Langlas & Associates was confirmed by the BOT as the GCCM on Friday, January 16.
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A few snaps from last Tuesday’s Slate Architecture and CHS Design Advisory Group (DAG-3). These groups are crucial in working through the nuances of important details of this project.
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Kessler Project: Week 8
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Mosaic Architecture + Cushing Terrell Updates:
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Working on physical site model
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Engagement board delivered to school for students to answer questions
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Two more engagement sessions with students on Monday, January 12th
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Community Meeting event on Monday, January 12th
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Board Update presented on Tuesday, January 13th
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Conducting programming meetings with all grade levels and programs in the building.
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Kessler GCCM RFQ/RFP Notice #3 will be published on Saturday, January 17.
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This last week, the Mosaic Architecture team held a community engagement event in the Kessler gym to explain where they are at on the project and what is yet to come. However, the engagement part of the meeting was the most important. They gathered input from attendees and collaborated on ideas and concepts that will contribute to the school’s design.
All of our architecture firms have been holding these kinds of meetings, and will continue to do so. Input is crucial to the process, so keep an eye out for upcoming events.
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Up Next: 01/18-01/25
HHS + Project for Alternative Learning (PAL) Project: Week 13
CHS Project: Week 11
Kessler Project: Week 9
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Mosaic Architecture + Cushing Terrell Updates:
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Kessler GCCM RFQ/RFP submissions due on Monday, January 26. Submissions will be reviewed Tuesday, January 27.
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If you have questions or want to chat about what’s next, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Keep up-to-date on the bonds projects as we enter into each
phase of the processes:
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COMMUNITY CORNER
Resources for students, families, and the HPS community.
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HPS THREE WAYS TO DONATE
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RUNNING RESOURCE LIST ON OUR WEBPAGE
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HPS SCHOOLS’ FOOD DRIVES AND OTHER RELATED EVENT LISTINGS
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CONTACT CENTER FOR QUESTIONS AND TO GET CONNECTED (WEBPAGE)
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Innovative Tax Credit donations are due on January 20!! This is one of the last calls to get your donations to the HPS Business and Finance Office – think of the possibilities YOUR donation could bring to our students – from PreK through 12th grade!
DONATE TODAY! Fill out the donation form and bring the completed form and your donation to the Helena Public Schools Business Office at 1325 Poplar Street by Tuesday, January 20.
HPS will enter the information with the amount donated, into the DOR Education Donations portal. The DOR will pre-approve the donation (so long as the individual and statewide thresholds noted above have not been exceeded) and you will receive a confirmation number along with a receipt that you will file with your 2026 taxes.Your donation will be returned if it is not approved by the DOR
NOTE: Please make your check out to Helena Public Schools. If donating to both HPS school districts, please write separate checks.
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The Helena Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to host the 2026 Montana Central Region Civics Bee to boost civic education among young Americans.
Helena Middle School and CR Anderson students – this one is for you!
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6th, 7th, and 8th grade students must submit a 750-word (max) essay proposing their ideas for improving their community by February 3rd, 2026.
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Top-scoring essays will be invited to participate in the Central Regional Bee in Helena on April 11, 2026 for the chance to win cash prizes. Finalists from each regional bee will be invited to compete in the Montana State Civics Bee in Helena in late spring/early summer 2026 for the chance to win cash prizes at the state level.
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The winner of the State Bee will be sent on an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC to compete in the National Civics Bee in fall 2026 for the chance to win $100,000 towards college.
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Additionally, the school that produces the state bee winner will receive a $5,000 donation!
To apply, students should visit the National Civics Bee webpage and create an account to access the application portal. (There is also a mail-in option.)
You can find more info and resources HERE.
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Kindergarten – Kindergarten registration opened Wednesday, January 7!
Your child is eligible to start kindergarten in Fall 2026 if they will be five years old on or before September 10, 2026.
Go to our webpage for registration information and other need-to-knows.
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For more information, go to our WEBPAGE. You can also find frequently asked questions HERE.
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KinderSprouts – Helena Public Schools’ FREE preschool program for QUALIFYING STUDENTS. To qualify your child must:
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Be 4 years old by September 10, 2026.
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Take a skills screening assessment to determine if your child would benefit from early literacy or numeracy intervention. Screenings will begin in February 2026.
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Montessori – If you have a student you plan to register for Kindergarten for Fall 2026, and are interested in being in the Montessori program, mark your calendar for April 24, 2026 as the application deadline date.
Go to our webpage for more information. It includes application instructions, dates to remember, and other need-to-knows.
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There will be a total of 12 lucky winners chosen from grades 3rd -5th grades here in Helena. These finalists will compete in our in-person contest at the Capital High Base Kitchen on March 7th – 8am-12:30pm. All contestants will receive a personal chef coat and hat just for making it to the competition. The grand prize winner will win a 3’ fire trophy and have their recipe submitted for the regional and nation level competition. There are also a variety of other prizes available in each of the other categories the student chefs can win.
Please fill out the recipe card (found below) and turn into your school’s office or with the kitchen staff. A student can submit as many recipes as they want, but only one can be chosen. The recipes must be submitted by February 6th. All winners will be chosen by February 20th. All parents/guardians will be called after the 12 contestants have been chosen, and they will need to verify that their chef will be able to physically compete in a real-life cooking competition on the day of the event.
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A few spots are available to join the free, professional-grade Winter Media Arts programs at MAPS Media Institute!
These hands-on courses are a perfect way for students (ages 12-18) to build real-world career skills while exploring their creative passions in a supportive environment:
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MUSIC: The Way of the Wave – From producing original beats to mastering voice dubbing for animation, students will learn to record and edit like pros using GarageBand. It’s the perfect outlet for aspiring musicians and podcasters!
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DESIGN: Drawn to Story – Special spots held for public school students! While this course is nearly full, we’ve reserved space for your students to dive into character design, world-building, and comic book illustration.
Go to: MAPS Application Page
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WHAT’S COMING UP THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT?
January 17, 2026 – January 31, 2026
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Saturday, January 17:
Sunday, January 18:
Monday, January 19: NO SCHOOL – MLK Day
*Kessler Precedent Trip to Spokane, CDA, and Lolo 1/19-1/22
Tuesday, January 20:
**AIR with the Holter Museum at Broadwater 1/20-1/27
Wednesday, January 21:
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High School Semester Testing
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CRA Gold Team Ski Trip – Great Divide
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PAL Senior Speeches, 9:00 a.m. – PAL Commons
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CRA PTO Meeting, 12:00 p.m. – CRA, Room 200
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IEFA Family Night, 6:00 p.m. – Bryant
Thursday, January 22:
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High School Semester Testing
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Board of Trustees Work Session, 10:00 a.m. CHS Update from Slate + RTA & Langlas, Followed by A 11:30 a.m. HHS Update from SMA & Dick Anderson – LC
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Broadwater PTC Meeting, 6:00 p.m. – Broadwater
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Jefferson Cocoa & Books Literacy Night, 6:00 p.m. – Jefferson
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14th Annual HHS American Welding Society Club Weld Off Against EHHS, 6:00 p.m. – HHS Welding Shop
Friday, January 23:
**Last day of Q2 (6-12)
Saturday, January 24:
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Sunday, January 25:
Monday, January 26: NO SCHOOL (PreK-12)
Tuesday, January 27:
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Kessler GCCM RFQ/RFP Submissions Review
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Snow School – Central
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Board of Trustees Work Session at Capital High School, 5:00 p.m. – Capital High
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Broadwater Game Night, 5:30 p.m. – Broadwater Library
Wednesday, January 28:
Thursday, January 29:
Friday, January 30:
Saturday, January 31:
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