Dear Families, Staff, and the Helena Community,

This upcoming Wednesday, September 24, the Helena School District trustees will certify the bond election results at a special Board meeting and we will officially transition to the planning phase of our three year plan to significantly update Capital High and build a new Helena High, a new Kessler Elementary School, a new district kitchen, a new PAL, and a new activities/athletic facility.

In the lead up to the bond election, our district Facilities Director, Todd Verrill, wisely laid the groundwork for a rapid start to the planning process by organizing the selection of an Owners Representative (OR) to shepherd the projects IF the bonds passed. With a “YES!” from the community on September 9, the district can now immediately launch Phase One and our Owners Representative, Shane Swandal of Hulteng CCM, can begin the work of overseeing every aspect of the projects, ensuring the funds are spent wisely and in accordance to state law, and keeping the projects on track. We know from experience that this method works well because we used it during the last bond and our Owners Representative helped deliver three new schools under budget and within the time allotted.

Our first step is to select architects for each project. Over the next several weeks, the district will develop and work through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process in order to do this.  Architectural firms will submit applications which will be reviewed and scored. The top three applicants will be interviewed and a recommendation for approval will then go before the Board of Trustees. Application information when completed will be available at helenaschools.org and will be published in the Independent Record.

For Helena High School, the first RFQ notice will be published on September 27 with submissions due on October 13. Submissions will be reviewed on October 14 and the top three applicants will be interviewed on October 21 with the trustees approving the final choice on October 24.

For Capital High School, the first RFQ notice will be published on October 11 with submissions due on October 27. Submissions will be reviewed on October 28 and the top three applicants will be interviewed on November 4 with the trustees approving the final choice on November 11.

For Kessler Elementary School, the first RFQ notice will be published on October 25 with submissions due on November 10. Submissions will be reviewed on November 11 and the top three applicants will be interviewed on November 18 with the trustees approving the final choice on November 21.

Just think, by Thanksgiving, architects will already be starting on the designs for all three sites and will begin seeking input from the community, our staff, and our students.

When I think about this, I am once again so grateful to this community for creating this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change Helena’s educational landscape and offer our young people state-of-the-art facilities.

Respectfully,

Rex Weltz, Superintendent
Helena Public Schools

Every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and succeed. We honor the importance of reading in a child’s learning process by providing each first-grade student with a brand new, hardcover, age-appropriate book to keep, and we celebrate with a reading event at each elementary school. Fabulous Firsts helps to introduce students to the joy of reading, which serves as a foundation for their academic journey.

2025 DISTRIBUTION AND READING EVENTS:

Each elementary school will host a distribution and reading event at which First-graders receive their books, snack, and listen as parents, HEF board members, sponsors, older students, and volunteers read this year’s books aloud.
Schools that are left on the Fabulous Firsts journey:

• 9/24         Kessler, 2:45 pm
• 9/26         Broadwater, 2:40 pm

BOOKS SELECTED FOR THE 2025 FABULOUS FIRSTS PROGRAM:

• Who Ate Steve? By Susannah Lloyd
• The Crayon Stub by Marcus Cutler
• I am Not Your Hat by Lisa Bentley
• Caboose by Travis Jonker
• Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
• The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan

Tours! Hands on activities! Resource Fair!
For high school students who might be interested and benefit from this fun, interactive, educational event. This event includes Fire & Emergency Services rotations in their breakouts.There is a cap on number of attendees for the event so please RSVP through the QR code on the flyer.

Questions? Please contact dualenrollment@helenacollege.edu.

MET Live in Schools, 2025-2026 Season

The Helena School District is entering its eighteenth year partnering with the Metropolitan Opera Company (the MET) for the Live in Schools program! The Live in Schools program will provide student (and teacher) tickets to as many as seven operas this season with the goal of introducing everyone to this incredible art form. Most operas are streamed live to our local movie theater, and the MET provides rich and detailed educator guides that help teachers and students learn about each show.

 

Any teacher who would like access to the amazing educational resources available from the MET are invited to attend our annual MET Opera Helena Training 2025 (October 29, 4:00-6:00 pm), which is now open for enrollment in MyLearningPlan. Attendance does not obligate long term program participation, but it will highlight all the opportunities Live in Schools brings to our Helena community. If you are interested in learning more or just attending an opera, email Kevin (kcleary@helenaschools.org) for additional information.

This season, the following operas will be screened at the Cinemark in Helena:

• October 18 – La Sonnambula, Vincenzo Bellini (Live!)
• November 12 – La Bohème, Giacomo Puccini (Recorded Encore)
• December 6 – The Magic Flute, W.A. Mozart (Recorded Encore)
• January 10 – I Puritani, Vincenzo Bellini (Live!)
• February 14 – Cendrillon, Jules Massenet (Live!)
• May 2 – Eugene Onegin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Live!)

Ironhorse Youth Music is proud to administer this unique program, which only exists in our community in Montana! Live in Schools is now and will always be free and open to all students. We hope to see you at the opera!

Montessori Ice Cream Social
Calling Montessori Families – it’s that time of year again! The annual ice cream social is an opportunity to meet the whole Montessori community, make connections, support the teachers and volunteers and board who make this program go round!

Contact helenamontessoriparents@gmail.com with any questions.

Indigenous News Now
HELENA AREA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
LAST CHANCE COMMUNITY POW WOW
26th ANNUAL “DEMONSTRATION DAY”

September 26, 2025 (Friday)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm – Exhibit Hall
(Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds)

HELP US CELEBRATE AMERICAN INDIAN AWARENESS DAY ON DEMONSTRATION DAY…

• It’s a day designed for students to learn about the Native American culture in a fun setting.
• There will be Native American dancing, drumming, and singing.
• Students will have the opportunity to drum, dance, and ask questions.
• About 800 students usually participate in Demonstration Day.
• And, it’s free!!!!!

Grand Entry of the Last Chance Community Pow Wow starts at 6pm Friday and continues through Sunday.  To learn more: lastchancepowwow.com.

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In addition to meals, participation in the Free & Reduced Lunch program helps the district identify students who may benefit from additional assistance with school expenses including:

• School supplies and clothing
• Sports and activities fees
• Instrument rentals
• Field trip fees
• Fees for academic tests such as the Advanced Placement exam

Families across a wide range of income levels may qualify based on a variety of factors, including the number of people in your household. If you believe your family may qualify, please apply now, even if you don’t plan to take advantage of this benefit.

Click HERE for the online form.
Click HERE for more information.