HELENA — If voters pass a $240,000,000 high school bond being asked for by Helena Public Schools, over $59,000,000 of that would be focused on Capital High School for renovations and additions.
(How Capital High School might change if the bond passes)
"You don't want to worry about whether or not the teacher's computer is going to turn on or whether you're going to be a little chilly," said Delaney Lynch, a senior at Capital High School (CHS) and a student representative on the Helena Public School Board. "You just want to go to school and be a student and learn."
Lynch is not the only one who sees issues with the school building distracting from education.
"We have had our fair share of electrical power outages," said Brett Zanto, the principal of CHS.
He says the school averages about one outage a month, but those outages impact more than just CHS students.
Robert Worthy is the food service director and Sodexo manager for all schools in the Helena district.
He says all meals for the school are made right in the CHS kitchen.
"If we can't turn it on, we can't make the food, which means 'Okay, guys, what do we got? What can we switch it out with?' [Then], I've got to switch out 2,000-3,000 meals to something else," Worthy said.
Worthy says outages are not the only challenges in the kitchen.
Some of the appliances regularly do not work, and there is no loading dock, so all the food has to be carried in by hand.
Worthy said, "Tens of thousands of pounds go in and then goes back out every single day to all these schools."
If the high school bond passes, the district kitchen would be moved to the brand-new facility that Helena High School might be getting.
If the bond does not pass, the district is talking about an idea that could significantly impact both Helena High and Capital High.
"Where they're at with their infrastructure, especially the boilers, and when it turns wintertime again, if those are to go out, it's only logical that they're going to need somewhere to go," said Zanto.
If the Helena High boiler fails, the district says both high schools might need to share the Capital High building.
One school would attend classes in the morning, and the other would attend classes in the afternoon.
Zanto said, "Definitely a disservice to our students, staff, parents, and community."
Taxpayers who own a property worth $300,000 would see an annual increase of $220.
Some opponents of the bond are concerned with this increase and question how the district manages its finances.
Others feel that there is a lack of transparency from the district, and maintenance should have already been done to keep up with facility needs.
The district says CHS currently has $14,000,000 in deferred maintenance.
If the high school bond passes, the goal is for construction to begin in August of 2026 and be completed by the fall of 2028.
MTN spent hours in the Helena area and sent dozens of messages on social media trying to speak with opponents of the bond, but none were able to speak on camera by the time of this story airing.
You can find more information about the bond here.
