Helena Residents View Design Concepts for New $43 Million Kessler Elementary School

Architects and contractors unveiled design concepts for a new Kessler Elementary School to Helena residents on March 18 and 19, offering the community its first detailed look at what a $43 million bond will build.

The presentations were led by Mosaic Architecture, the firm tapped to design the project, alongside contractor Golden Eagle Swank Co. The two-day community engagement sessions gave residents a chance to see how the bond funding, approved by Helena voters in September 2025, is being translated into actual plans for the school.

The $43 million bond was part of a broader elementary school construction effort supported at the ballot box roughly six months before the design concepts were made public. Kessler Elementary, a Helena school with deep roots in the community, is now moving through the early stages of a full replacement or major rebuild financed by that bond measure.

Mosaic Architecture and Golden Eagle Swank Co represent the design-build partnership responsible for carrying the project from concept through construction. Their involvement in the March community sessions signals that planning is advancing, with residents being brought into the process before designs are finalized.

The timeline from voter approval to public design review reflects how quickly the district moved to begin translating bond funds into tangible school infrastructure. With concepts now in front of the community, feedback gathered during the March sessions will likely shape the next round of design decisions before the project moves toward construction.