EAST HELENA, Mt. — Growth can bring new opportunities to a community, but it can also bring growing pains, especially for its schools. East Helena district leaders are looking at what those changes could mean for classrooms, staffing, and the future of education.
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“We are just looking to the future and what’s on the next frontier for the schools here in East Helena,” Dan Rispens, East Helena Public Schools superintendent, said.
This strategic planning looks three to five years down the road. Through its 2026 mega trends survey, the district collected feedback from 154 respondents, the majority of whom were parents of currently enrolled students.
One of the biggest themes? Growth.
“I was actually kind of pleasantly surprised to see that people in East Helena see the opportunity there, but they also see the challenge it is bringing to our town,” Rispens added.
Nearly 95 percent of respondents who commented on challenges identified population and neighborhood trends as a concern.
That includes questions about classroom capacity, enrollment, transportation, and whether school facilities can keep pace with new development.
But growth was also viewed as an opportunity potentially bringing expanded educational programs, stronger community partnerships, and new resources.
“People want a school system that is gonna help their kids develop their full capabilities, and they want the school district to be thinking about all aspects of education and how we are meeting the kids' needs and preparing them for the future,” Rispens said.
Other concerns included recruiting and retaining qualified staff, financial sustainability, student safety and the growing role of technology and artificial intelligence in classrooms.
The survey results will be considered alongside enrollment projections, facility assessments, financial information, and student outcomes as East Helena Public Schools works to establish its long-term priorities.
