Helena School Board Approves Mail Ballot Election, Considers Levy Increase

At its December 15 meeting the Helena School Board of Trustees approved pursuing a mail ballot election to fill four board seats, setting the election for May 5, 2026. The board also opened discussion on whether to ask voters to increase the district perpetual technology levy, which currently raises roughly one million dollars annually. If trustees choose to place a levy question on the ballot, the board indicated the measure would likely run for ten years, from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2035, and district staff will provide formal ballot language and additional details before the vote.

The decision to use a mail ballot for trustee selection shifts the mechanics of the election and may affect voter participation and campaign strategies. Mail ballot elections tend to broaden access for voters who have difficulty attending polling places, while also concentrating the timeframe for outreach and information delivery. For candidates and community groups, the format changes how they must communicate priorities and how voters receive candidate information ahead of the May election.

The potential technology levy increase carries direct budgetary consequences for the district and residents. The existing perpetual levy supplies roughly one million dollars a year for technology needs. An increase approved by voters would extend dedicated funding into the next decade, creating a predictable revenue stream for devices, networks, software and training, subject to board priorities and state law. For households in Lewis and Clark County the levy question would be a tax policy decision about local investment in school infrastructure and services.

Trustees discussed boundary changes and other district business during the same meeting, linking governance choices to the larger budget and planning environment. The board has not yet placed the levy question on the ballot and will return with specific ballot language and fiscal projections if it decides to proceed. Local voters will decide in May whether to elect new trustees through the mail ballot process and whether to authorize expanded technology funding for the district through the proposed ten year levy period.