Greetings from East Helena Public Schools!
I want to start off with a giant congratulations to our neighbors in the Helena Public Schools and the Helena community for the recent passage of the Elementary and High School Bonds. This historic investment in school facilities in Helena will benefit generations of students in so many ways.
Having witnessed first-hand here in East Helena the positive impact school facilities have on a community, I have to say, I am excited for what is coming in Helena. Congrats!
Now, here’s what’s happening in East Helena!
East Helena Growth
Across our District, classrooms are near capacity as our student population increases with the build up of residential homes in surrounding neighborhoods. The word is out that this is a great place to live and raise a family.
A bit of research in August revealed that (based on last year’s student count) East Helena is the 10th largest school system in Montana and second largest in Class A after Columbia Falls. Our current enrollment is 1998 students. That’s an increase of 29 students from a year ago.
We expect continued growth as plans for additional large scale subdivisions unfold for the Rose Hills and Prickly Pear Estates neighborhoods. Fortunately, we drafted a facility master planning document in 2024 with the help of SMA Architects. You can find it on our website under the District Facilities tab. This document is intended to guide the Board and Community as we navigate growth in East Helena. It provides options for the Board and Community to consider.
If you check out the master facilities plan on our web site you can scroll to page 49 to dive into the feasibility studies and scenarios that were recommended for consideration. These studies are then combined into scenarios that include projections for future usage and estimated cost.
This is all to say that your school board and administration have been working to prepare for growth and manage the district in a responsible fashion. The board holds ownership of vacant land in the district for future school development, and wants to be prepared when the time comes to build the next school or school addition in East Helena.
The board also welcomes your input into this process. The easiest way to contact trustees is emailing them from the school board portion of our website. Trustees review these communications regularly and take all comments into consideration.
Our Long Term Infrastructure Committee serves as an advisory group to the Board on topics related to facility planning. The group will meet again this winter and consider the fall enrollment numbers as well as reports from building principals regarding crowding. We’ll also discuss projections for future developments. If you would like to be part of this working group, please drop me a line and let me know.
Transportation Investments to Meet Growing Need
It’s no secret that the East Helena School District is experiencing enrollment growth. Given the number of new homes and apartments being built, it’s natural to expect more students in our schools. One area of our operations that has been affected by the addition of the high school and increase in students is our transportation.
We proudly operate our own fleet of buses and have a great group of dedicated drivers transporting students to and from school as well as activities and events. When I started working here in 2001, we operated four bus routes. We now have ten.
Additionally, high school activities have increased pressure on our fleet as we move kids around our great state for competition in Class A athletics. We have been carefully building capacity and have been fortunate to find some good quality, used motor coaches for transporting our students to events and activities.
The miles are adding up though, and our oldest motor coach, a 1989 bus with nearly one million miles on it finally took its last trip for the Vigilantes last month. This year, to continue our support of student transportation, we have added a new bluebird route bus (yellow bus) and have recently purchased two additional activity buses.
The bulk of these funds are coming from our bus depreciation fund which has been able to accrue a balance due to our use of grants to fund some of our prior bus purchases. Our trustees value student safety and are excited to be able add some newer, low-mileage rigs to the fleet.
Don’t miss the Christmas Stroll
You won’t want to miss this year’s East Helena Christmas Stroll. Mark your calendars now for Dec. 4 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The stroll includes crafters and vendors at various locations around town, hospitality from all East Helena businesses, kids activities at Main Street Park, student performances at Radley School, basket raffle, and a visit from Santa!
The District will provide free bus rides between stroll locations for those who need a lift. It’s a great way to enjoy some small town vibes and get into the holiday spirit! See ya there.
Dan Rispens is the Superintendent of the East Helena Public Schools. He can be reached at (406) 227-7700 or drispens@ehps.k12.mt.us