HELENA — In Friday’s Helena Public Schools’ special board meeting, Helena-based Mosaic Architecture has been selected to design the new Kessler Elementary School following the passage of the $43 million elementary school bond back in September.
Mosaic will begin meeting with the school’s staff and students next week.
Helena Public Schools' board chair Jennifer McKee said, “It is so real now, there is real work happening."
Kessler currently faces safety and accessibility concerns.
The new building will provide spacious, energy-efficient classrooms; a fully compliant kitchen and fire suppression system; improved gym and multipurpose spaces; and the infrastructure to support current and future educational needs, all with the goal of opening by fall 2028.
“Helena did this," McKee said. "We did this for ourselves, and we did it at a time when it is hard to do these things. It makes you feel good to live in Helena, and makes you feel even better when these schools are rising out of the ground.”
The new Kessler school was not the only topic of discussion on Friday, with HPS also meeting its goal of selling part of the bonds, 161.5 million dollars of them.
“That is the real tangible money in the door, and those bonds sold in about an hour and a half, which is really a testament to how they were appealing to investors because we have our financial house in order, which was a long time coming, and it is going to reduce cost for the taxpayer," McKee said.
Architects for the Capital High renovations and construction of a new Helena High School campus have already been selected as well.
As for the next steps, the district will begin interviews with contractors for each of the schools.
