Helena schools wrap up year, seniors prepare for graduation weekend

Helena Public Schools spent its final stretch of the 2025-26 school year juggling two tracks at once: graduation weekend at Carroll College and the last details of a calendar that still had testing, early release and records days ahead. Superintendent Rex M. Weltz used the district’s June 5 Friday Flyer to mark the end of the year and to salute the work that brought students to the stage.

The flyer noted that graduates from Mount Ascension and Project for Alternative Learning were honored earlier that day, then turned to the bigger ceremonies waiting Saturday morning. Helena High School’s graduation was set for 9 a.m. at Carroll College’s Nelson Stadium, weather permitting, while Capital High School’s ceremony was set for 11:30 a.m. at the same venue. If the weather forced Capital indoors, families were told the Carroll PE Center would serve as the backup site, and they were asked to bring tickets.

The district also pointed families to the Helena Senior All Night Party, scheduled for June 6 from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. and open to graduating seniors from several area schools, including Helena High and Capital High. Weltz also used the flyer to send a direct message to the Class of 2026, congratulating students and urging them to stay curious and resilient as they move into the next chapter.

For everyone else, the school year was not over yet. Next week still included kindergarten graduations, move-up days and fifth- and eighth-grade send-offs, and Tuesday was set as an early-release day at noon for K-8 students. Helena Public Schools’ calendar also showed June 8 and June 9 as high school semester testing days, June 9 as the last day of school for students in grades K-8 and grades 9-11, and June 10 as a high school staff in-service and records day.

The flyer’s construction update made clear that the district is also keeping one eye on long-term work while it closes out the semester. Between May 31 and June 6, the update tracked progress and committee work at Helena High School and Project for Alternative Learning, district kitchen bidding, PAL and HHS building committees, Capital High project work, Kessler Elementary and the Golden Eagle/Swank construction stream. The message for Helena families was simple: commencement is here, but the district’s planning for classrooms, kitchens and buildings across Lewis and Clark County is still moving forward.