End of an era: Helena school board shutters Hawthorne Elementary after century of service

After more than 100 years standing in Helena’s historic Mansion District, Hawthorne Elementary School was permanently closed Tuesday night in a 6-1 school board decision that marked the latest and symbolic casualty in a yearslong budget crisis that has gutted programs, erased positions, and now, ended a legacy.

Trustee Rachel Robison voted against the closure of the neighborhood school in a board meeting that took roughly four hours before the decision.

Hawthorne Elementary School has faced closure before, with one incident in 2014 where parents, community members and students marched around the building.

The school district faces a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, although it saw a decrease due to the passing of House Bill 28, the STARS Act and the elementary general fund levy in May.

”We’re close to where we want to be. Unfortunately, being close to where we want to be means we are looking at another cut,” Trustee Janet Armstrong said before agreeing with the recommendation to close the school immediately. Tuesday was the last day of the school year.

The deficit was projected at $2.9 million in the elementary district, but shrunk to roughly $1.6 million, and the high school district to about $800,000.

In 2022, Helena Public Schools projected a $6.8 million budget shortfall and began a three-year budget cutting process.

Since then, officials said, the district cut the deficit by closing the Ray Bork Learning Center, eliminating over 30 teaching positions and the Access to Success program, and reducing elementary music and physical education.

Although the cuts have saved millions, the district still borrowed from its interlocal funds, a ”savings account.” District officials stated the interlocal account allowed the district to avoid the “use it or lose it” philosophy by having an account to place unused funds.

Hawthorne, 430 Madison Ave., had about $4.6 million in deferred maintenance costing the district roughly $26,000 per student compared to the district’s average $12,000.

The 179-student school with nine classrooms has stood in the Mansion District for over 100 years. The district’s average student enrollment at other elementary schools was 306.5.

Multiple meetings and hours of public comment from community members, families, students, teachers and staff led up to the June 10 meeting.

A thinner crowd was at the start of Tuesday's meeting, in person, with roughly 200 people online. A parent claimed the board members were in the pocket of Superintendent Rex Weltz and called them cowards for their decision.

Another called the ”flawed” decision not a recommendation based on budget or financial needs, but an “ideological one.”

“I no longer trust the leaders of Helena Public Schools. I know that I don't trust them with my money. And if it weren’t for the wonderful teachers and educators at the schools, I wouldn't trust them with my children,” Hanna Warhank, a Hawthorne parent, said.

HPS released information in April talking about what cuts could be made if the school remained open.

Closing the school was valued at about $900,000 in savings, but if it was kept open cuts to elementary nurses, special education services and music and physical education were possible.

”This has been a breach of trust,” Carrie Jones, a community member, said.

Special education cuts would minimize the programs to the required minimum, cuts to music and PE would put the responsibility on classroom teachers and nurses would be removed from schools.

Music and PE and nursing cuts would give the district over $900,000 in savings, but impact around 3,000 students, officials said.

Weltz proposed three options at a previous meeting regarding Hawthorne.

1. Close the school at the end of the current school year

2. Keep it open for one more year

3. Keep it open and “keep the status quo”

Board members said multiple times over months of meetings that the decision to close the school was not one they wanted to make.

The recommendation to close the elementary school came during budget consensus committee meetings that occurred over months consisting of administrators, board members, community members, parents and staff.

Recommendations in the elementary district contained dozens of other options, with some exercised during a June 2024 meeting.

“These decisions tonight are leveraging dollars for what is best for all students,” Weltz said.

Throughout the meetings some parents and other community members felt the district was using Hawthorne as a financial scapegoat rather than a legitimate option.

Some felt the district was pitting supporters of music and PE versus Hawthorne against one another. They felt it was an “either-or” situation.

The board has battled with the idea of school consolidation and cited the lack of funding coming from the state on multiple occasions.

State funding has not kept up with inflation through legislation, although Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB 15 on April 1, which ensured a 3% inflationary increase to the school funding formula and totaled an additional $52 million across the state over a two-year period.

The school board also approved two resolutions, one for the high school district and one for the elementary district for a bond election.

The elementary bond was worth $43 million to rebuild Kessler Elementary School and the high school bond was worth $240 million to rebuild Helena High School and renovate Capital High School.

”Good luck with your bonds,” Kris Goss, a community member, said after his public comment on the closure of Hawthorne.