10/14/2024
“Helena This Week” is reported and written By JoVonne Wagner. Send your Helena news and tips to [email protected].
Administrative raises questioned amid deep budget cuts
Helena parents and teachers recently voiced their frustration with school district officials after the board of trustees approved a salary increase for administrators amid teacher cuts, program consolidation and other budget strains.
Last month, the Helena school board approved a 1.5% pay increase for administrative staff after about four years of a salary freeze.
The increase follows last school year’s budget cuts, failed operational, technology and safety levies, about 50 teaching position cuts and the consolidation of music and physical education classes.
Frustrated, both parents and teachers took to social media after the vote to express concerns about school districts’ spending.
In online comments, school leadership’s actions were described as “embarrassing,” “ridiculous,” and “sad.” Two district teachers also submitted letters to the editor of the Helena Independent Record, both writing in concern about the pay increase.
Members of the board responded to the influx of criticism during their meeting last week. Trustee Janet Armstrong said she felt that the board was being misrepresented and reminded the public of the challenges facing funding for public education in the state.
“It’s really hard for me that when I look at these letters and people say the board is corrupt, incompetent, doesn’t care. How do you expect me to be an effective advocate for you when I walk in the door and people say I don’t care?” Armstrong said. “I really, really believe we’re struggling because there is a scarcity of resources.”
School board chairperson Siobhan Hathhorn said the board has prepared a letter that will soon be sent to all district staff. The letter aims to provide, what the board says, is accurate and educational information and encourages people to reach out to school officials about confusion or frustrations about board decisions.
“Nearly every AA district is in trouble financially. This is not a situation that is unique to us,” Hathhorn said during the meeting. “The board and administration are not our enemies. There simply is not enough money to properly fund the district the way we’ve been doing so historically.”
The administrative raises will cost the district about $45,000 during the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Public Notice
Draft solid waste master plan: The city of Helena and Lewis and Clark County are seeking public comment on the draft solid waste master plan. City and county officials, in partnership with consulting companies, began creating a master plan last year to improve waste diversion and disposal services and costs. The public will have until Oct. 31 to submit comments that will be considered when writing the final report. Visit Be Heard Helena’s website for more information about the plan or to comment.
Street closure: A portion of East Broadway Street will be closed to vehicles until Sunday, Oct. 20, for a crosswalk replacement at the walking mall. The section between North Park Avenue and Jackson Street will remain blocked off to allow concrete to set.
City closure for IPD: The city of Helena’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Oct. 14, in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day. The municipal court and transfer station will be closed, impacting garbage collection. Residents are encouraged to instead place their garbage bins out by 7 a.m. the following day. The Capital Transit office will also be closed but buses will remain in service.
5 Things to Know in Helena
Another tech levy for the schools?: The Helena Public School District recently discussed a potential 10-year technology levy. In a school budget and finance committee meeting last week, school officials said district devices first purchased during the pandemic, such as laptops, computers and iPads primarily used by students, have about a five-year life cycle and will need to be updated. The total levy ask is about $4.2 million. The levy will need approval from the board of trustees before it can appear on a spring ballot.
St. Peter’s receives depression treatment funding: St. Peter’s Health received a $288,057 grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to fund a new treatment for severe depression, according to a press release. Psychiatry medical director Bridgid Crowley will lead the new treatment, which was FDA-approved for adolescents earlier this year. The grant will cover treatment equipment costs, faculty enhancements and training. St. Pete’s will offer the treatment in the new year.
Helena receives risk management award: At the beginning of October, the Montana League of Cities and Towns held its annual conference and announced that Helena was the city recipient of the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority’s Bob Worthington Risk Management Achievement Award. The award highlights an entity’s effort to manage risk and prevent loss. City Manager Tim Burton informed the commission of the news during a meeting last week, and the city’s human resources director, Renee McMahon, who accepted the award on Helena’s behalf, thanked the collaborative efforts of local emergency services departments as well as the public works and transit departments.
Demonstration for Ruth’s Place: Good Samaritan Ministries will hold an unsheltered experience demonstration, which will double as a fundraiser for the nonprofit’s women’s shelter, Ruth’s Place. The event will be on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Good Samaritan Ministries parking lot at 3067 N. Montana Ave. During the day, the event will have a silent auction, kid-friendly activities, food trucks, a clothing drive and presentations from the homeless community. Twelve women will stay overnight to showcase the experience of what it would be like for a female to live unsheltered in Helena. To RSVP or for more information about the demonstration, contact Good Samaritan Ministries at [email protected].
A sensory-friendly Halloween: The organization Family Outreach Inc. will host a free sensory-friendly Halloween-themed open house for families on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Family Outreach, 1212 Helena Ave., specializes in providing services to people with disabilities across southwest Montana. The open house will include games, a pumpkin patch, movie screenings and a sensory-friendly haunted house. For more information on the details of the event contact Family Outreach at [email protected].
By The Numbers
The number of public comments submitted to the city from Aug. 13 to Sept. 8 on the new downtown parking changes. The comments, which were briefly discussed during last week’s parking advisory committee meeting, ranged from those in agreement with the changes to suggestions to remove paid parking altogether.
Last month, the city parking services department enacted ongoing changes to downtown parking that aimed to address users’ complaints over the past several months. Those changes included a universal parking zone, the elimination of one-hour free parking in garages and the registration of multiple vehicles under one permit.
Might Be Fun
The United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area will hold its annual Family Fun Fest to raise money for the Helena Inn affordable housing project. The fun fest begins Friday, Oct. 18, at 5:30. There’ll be balloon-sculpture making, a movie and refreshments. On Saturday, Oct. 19, United Way will host a donut fun run from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. A carnival will follow the fun run until 4 p.m. The fest will conclude on Sunday, with a balloon-popping party beginning at 1 p.m. Some events require registration. For more information about the fun fest, visit the United Way website, or call (406) 442-4360.
