HELENA — Things are changing at Capital High School. Thursday, the school district broke ground, marking one step closer to a newly-renovated school.
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Dozens of community members, students, and staff gathered for the special moment.
“It is really exciting to get them on board with what we are going to have for a new facility. There is some really exciting stuff,” Cal Boyle, Capital High’s principal, said.
While Helena High is being built from the ground up, Capital is undergoing significant renovations to address over $14 million in deferred maintenance.
These updates include extensive structural and systems upgrades, modern HVAC, improved electrical safety, secure entry points, renovated learning spaces, and a new CTE facility.
Current estimates for the project are $59 million, all part of the $240 million high school bond the community passed in September of last year.
“We have now abated asbestos in the lower level, and so we are moving from level to level,” Helena Public Schools superintendent Rex Weltz said. “We've essentially evaporated everybody out of the lower level and moved them upstairs.”
Students will continue to learn in the facility during the renovations, with a completion date set for fall 2028.
“As construction moves out of the basement onto the main floor, obviously that is going to be more disruptive, so teachers are prepared for the fact that they are going to be displaced and sharing space, and I think students are more flexible because they are used to moving all day anyway,” Boyle added.
The project is led by architects from Slate+RTA and general contractor Langlas.
“The generations, the thousands of students that are going to experience a learning environment in which they should,” Weltz said.
Other pieces of the project include moving the district kitchen to the Helena High campus, which will be completed by the fall of next year, and the district stadium, which will sit on the current HHS footprint.
