Editor's note: This is the first in a series about three issues on the May 7 ballot regarding Helena Public Schools. Voters will decide on safety and security, technology and elementary general fund levies.
One of the Helena Public Schools issues on the May 7 ballot is a safety and security levy for the elementary and high school districts, promoting safe campuses. Ballots will be mailed out April 22 and, when returned, must be postmarked before May 7. People can also take their ballot to the Lewis and Clark County elections by 8 p.m. May 7.
According to the district's website, safety can't wait. The safety and security levy will promote safe campuses districtwide by funding positions like school nurses, counselors and school resource officers.
The levy will cause an estimated $88.66 increase annually in property taxes on a $100,000 home, $265.98 annually on a $300,000 home and $531.96 annually on a $600,000 home.
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The levy would allow the district to upgrade its secure entrances and exits by adding key fobs and "moving away from doors that need a physical key," Todd Verrill, facilities director, said.
"The first thing we did was sat down and thought of all of the things that we either are spending money on right now that involve safety and security or things we think we should be spending money on in the future," Verrill said.
One of the examples of things he listed that needed addressing is interior door locks for roughly 600 doors throughout the district, because when someone is in "panic mode" or an emergency situation they might not be able to lock the door fast enough.
The district wants to install "positive locked door" locks, which is a lock that tells the user the door is locked with a display showing the word locked or a light.
The lock set for the estimated 600 doors would be about $120,000, according to Verrill.
Another example he listed was fire safety equipment, which needs to be replaced due to its life expectancy, but the current financial situation within the district without the passing of the levy puts the facilities director and the district in a "trade-off" situation.
"Right now there is money earmarked for safety and security through the building reserve fund, but ultimately we have to make a choice," Verrill said. "Do we put a new roof on a building or do we update the fire system?"
He cited an experience that he had entering a classroom where it was 95 degrees, which is not appropriate or safe.
When a classroom is that hot teachers and students cannot "prop a door or window open because that defeats the security in the school."
Verrill wants to make sure the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are operating properly in the future to promote a safe and comfortable learning and teaching environment.
He said the district has upgraded its HVAC systems at a decent rate, but they are still not operating as well as they should be.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems would also help air quality during wildfire season, according to Verrill.
"Our HVAC system becomes our security issues. When I was teaching in the 1990s and 2000s, we'd prop doors open all day long in the fall and the spring because it would be so hot in our rooms. We didn't have the threat of an individual wanting to do bad things to people," Superintendent Rex Weltz said.
Weltz said the community has an expectation that the district and its schools will keep kids safe, which is why opening doors and windows is a hazard.
Ellen Feaver, treasurer on a political action committee supporting school levies, said the district narrowly escaped a school shooter.
Logan Sea Pallister, who is awaiting a status hearing, was 23 when arrested in 2022 on charges he planned to bomb and shoot up Helena High School.
"The community is not immune to safety issues," Feaver said. She said mental health issues with students is a big part of education.
Custodians are at the front line of schools, Verrill said, because they are responsible for opening and locking doors within the school as well as reporting when things are broken or damaged in the schools.
The levy will help pay about 10% of the custodians' salaries or wages.
District officials cited that all salaries are paid out of the general fund, so if another form of money in the district could alleviate some of that burden it could help the district's budget shortfall.
On the district's website it has a frequently-asked-questions page about the levies and the shortfall the district is facing.
The budget shortfall according to the district is due to rising utility costs, fast-changing security and technology needs, soaring health care and insurance rates and inflation.
Depending on what levies pass and don't pass will determine what the district has to do regarding internal decisions.
The website shows three different scenarios of best- to worst-case scenarios. The district will use the recommendations curated by the district's budget recommendation consensus committee, which was made up of community members, district officials and family members.
In the best-case scenario, all levies would pass and limited cuts would be made like reduced departmental budgets and reductions in support positions.
The "middle-case scenario" would mean more cuts would have to be made, including cutting field trips, larger class sizes and staffing reductions.
The worst-case scenario where all levies fail would cause sizeable reductions in staff at all levels and possibly cuts to district programs and curriculum.
Verrill said the Helena Police Department provides the district with school resource officers, but the district is hoping to get a fifth SRO to delegate them to Jim Darcy Elementary School, Rossiter Elementary School and Warren Elementary School.
"There's no one dedicated to those buildings so, if I needed an officer, it would be whoever was closest. It could be a highway patrol officer on the freeway or a game warden in the area, that's who would respond and you don't know if they are 1 mile or 30 miles away," Weltz said.
Having a dedicated SRO at the three schools would help secure them, Weltz added.
The city of Helena is asking for a safety and security levy and bond on the ballot for the June elections, but Weltz said the district discussed the topic with city officials.
"We are working with the city all the time ... we have talked to the city and we share our resources," Weltz said.
On the district's FAQ page, another question was why is the district asking for more money even though it passed levies last year?
The district had a two-part answer: The first part of its answer was regarding general fund levies and the second part was special levies.
The district's webpage said under the general fund levies topic, "In Montana, the responsibility for annual school funding is shared by the state and local voters. The model is designed so school districts routinely ask local voters for approval of a portion of their budget – usually every year – with caps in place to protect the taxpayer."
For special levies, state law gives districts authority to seek out community support for specific purposes such as safety, technology, building maintenance and construction of new facilities.