Helena school officials could cut teachers, nurses in place of closing Hawthorne 

Teachers, nurses and assistance for special education students could be cut if the Helena Public School District decides to keep Hawthorne Elementary open, according to district officials.

On Tuesday, the district announced potential budget reductions that would be made if school leaders chose not to close Hawthorne Elementary.

Those cuts include eliminating music and physical education teachers and school nurses at all elementary schools, which would save the district about $936,000, according to a press release from the district. The release did not say how many teaching and nursing positions would be affected. 

Another possible savings would come from reducing services to special education students, although the district did not specify how much those cuts would save. School officials say that closing Hawthorne would save the district $1 million.

“My goal in outlining possible budget cuts has been to best preserve the high-quality core academic offerings Helena gives all students,” Superintendent Rex Weltz said in the release. “But every cut is difficult, and none of us want to be here.”

RELATED

Parents, teachers urge Helena district not to close Hawthorne Elementary

The Helena Public School Board of Trustees held a public hearing to discuss the superintendent’s recommendations to either close the elementary by the end of this school year, close next school year or keep the school open.

by JoVonne Wagner 04.10.202504.10.2025

Weltz previously recommended that the school board of trustees close the elementary school by the end of this school year or by the end of next year to help address the district’s $2 million budget shortfall.

Hawthorne Elementary, first built in 1921 at 430 Madison Ave., is the district’s oldest school. According to school officials, it has a maintenance backlog of about $4.6 million. About 180 students attend Hawthorne, the lowest enrollment number in Helena’s elementary district. 

Hawthorne’s parents and teachers have advocated to keep the elementary school open as the board of trustees and staff contemplate the budgetary savings and impacts of keeping the school operational versus shutting it down. 

Members of Helena Friends of Neighborhood School, a group pushing to keep the school open, said Tuesday that the school district’s plan to cut teachers and nurses is pitting segments of the school community against one another. The group also said that the district has provided inaccurate budget numbers. 

“The district is making false choices for no reason other than creating discord,” Friends of Neighborhood Schools member and school board trustee candidate Hanna Warhank told Montana Free Press. “This is no way to treat your community or the students in your schools. We know that there are other approaches to closing the deficit, but first we need accountability from the board on their actual spending – and we need true leadership, not tactics aimed at pitting some community members against others.” 

According to the district press release, if music and PE positions are cut, classroom teachers would instead teach those courses. In addition, the school day would be shortened by an hour for elementary students so teachers would have time for their typical prep work.  

The school board of trustees is expected to vote on the Hawthorne recommendations during its meeting June 10. 

This article was corrected April 23, 2025, to reflect that teachers and nurses would be eliminated at all Helena elementary schools.

In-depth, independent reporting on the stories impacting your community from reporters who know your town.