Sign up for the free Helena This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Helena city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events.
6/23/2025
Recent testing shows elementary and high school students performing well
Helena students performed higher than the state’s average in core subjects, according to the Montana Office of Public Instruction’s 2023-2024 report cards.
OPI recently released its report cards for Montana public schools that show student achievement scores for mathematics, reading and science. The report cards separate districts by high schools and K-8 schools.
The results of Helena and Capital high schools showed that, combined, the schools scored above the state average in proficient and advanced levels in all three subjects.
For math, 39% of the district’s high school students tested at proficient or advanced, while the state’s high school average is 37%. Sixty-one percent of Helena high school students are proficient and above in reading, compared to the state’s average of 46%. In science, 38% of students are proficient and above, versus the state’s 37%.
“ So reading, we’re doing remarkably well, and we’re really pleased to see those kinds of results,” school district data and assessment administrator Kaitlyn Hess told Montana Free Press. “ Now math, yeah, we’re still above the state average, … but we’ve got some work that we can be doing in math to raise those scores.”
Helena elementary school results showed that students also tested higher than the state’s average for all core subjects. Forty-three percent of students tested proficient or advanced in math, 50% are proficient and above in reading and 48% are proficient and above in science. The average scores in the state are 37% in math, 46% in reading and 37% in science.
Helena students continue the trend with scores that were above the state average in the 2022-2023 school report card.
“ We’re really pleased to be above the state average and to have strong, strong results again this year,” Hess said. “I give a lot of credit to the teachers and their dedication and hard work, getting students where they need to be.”
The public can search for individual school results within the Helena School District on the OPI website.
Public Notice
The city of Helena will hold a special commission meeting on Wednesday, June 25, following the regular administrative meeting, to consider a resolution to send mail ballots for the upcoming municipal election in September and the general election in November. According to the meeting agenda, Helena has historically conducted mail-ballot elections because they are cost-effective. The meeting will be at the City-County Building, 316 N. Park Ave., in room 330, at 6 p.m.
5 Things to Know in Helena
Pride flag discussion update: In response to city commissioner Melinda Reed’s inquiry on the city’s process for adopting a flag earlier this month, city deputy attorney Matthew Petesch informed the commission that the city would need to pass a resolution to make the Pride flag an official city flag. The commission didn’t have any further discussion on the topic and didn’t take any further action after the attorney’s report.
However, Petesch added that Helena can fly the Pride flag at any of its government properties currently and still be in compliance with the law because the city of Missoula officially adopted it as an official city flag. HB 819 states that no flag or banner may be displayed in or on government property, with exceptions that include the official flag of another municipality.
“In theory, without taking any additional steps, we, the city of Helena, could fly Missoula’s flag, which is the Pride flag, in accordance with HB 819,” Petesch said.
City budget update: The city commission approved its preliminary budget during a meeting last week. The proposed expenditures are about $113.2 million. In addition to the preliminary budget, Commissioner Emily Dean made the motion to allocate an extra $350,000 to the sidewalk loan program. The loan program formerly received about $150,000. Commissioners Reed and Sean Logan shared their preferences for waiting to fund the program until the final budget comes to the commission. The amendment passed 4-1, with Logan voting in opposition.
New fire hydrants and dump trucks: City engineer Jamie Clark recommended that the city approve a $289,119 bid from Montana Materials and Construction to replace nine of the city’s highest priority fire hydrants. City transportation deputy director Chris Couey also recommended that the commission approve a bid to I-State Trucking Inc. for two new dump trucks for $223,948. The commission approved both recommendations.
Still more drug money to give: The city-county opioid governance committee met last week to discuss its remaining funds to spend this fiscal year. The remaining allocations from the Montana Opioid Abatement Trust are about $495,000, and the committee is expected to receive another $400,000 for the next fiscal year. The committee also reviewed four applications from YWCA Helena, Intermountain Deaconess Children’s Services, Montana Professional Health and Wellbeing Program and the Montana Meth Project, seeking money to fund opioid remediation-related projects. The committee will take action on the applications during the next meeting on July 3.
Blackfeet family enters land agreement with PPLT: Last Friday, Prickly Pear Land Trust announced a conservation agreement with a Blackfeet family. The family of Fred and Ramona Des Rosier, who own Avalanche Ranch located between Helena, White Sulfur Springs and Townsend, agreed to the easement, which will protect about 5,300 acres of open lands, according to a press release from the trust.
“As members of the conservation community, we can make the mistake of implying that we’re trying to protect vacant land, but there were people here before settlers arrived, and they lived intertwined with these landscapes for generations,” Prickly Pear Land Trust executive director Mary Hollow said in the release. “Avalanche is one of those rare places where that connection has continued.”
Glad You Asked
A few readers asked about the future plans for Hawthorne Elementary after the school district voted to close the school. School district assistant superintendent Josh McKay and chief of staff Barb Ridgway told MTFP that there will be a lot of “thought and discussion” about the property’s future, but no official action has been taken. In the meantime, Ridgeway said, the district will continue to maintain the building.
