1 week Ago
In my first column this fall I shared that our district's theme for this year is "Better Together." When our public schools and community work together, we all benefit. This support has made Helena's schools among the top in Montana.
But we don't always get the opportunity to see the connection between our community's investment in public education and the ways that support comes back to benefit our town, our state, our country and our world. So, we're taking our community on an "Alumni Discovery Journey." Each month we're checking in with a graduate, some near and some far, to learn how their experiences at Helena Public Schools shaped their success.
We started our journey last month right here at home with Helena High Principal Brian Kessler, who is himself a 2007 Helena High grad. Next month we'll feature a Capital High grad whose public school education paved the way to a successful career. This month, we pointed our compass toward the Phoenix, Arizona, area, where 2009 HHS grad Katie Connors opened her own 12-physician OBGYN practice four years ago.
You can find the full story on Dr. Connors on our website at . Connors shared how the academic foundation and life skills she developed at Smith Elementary, Helena Middle School and Helena High enabled her to succeed in college, medical school and her career as a physician.
Connors attributes the quality of her K-12 education to strong teachers who were invested in their students. In fact, when Connors needed help with chemistry as she prepared for the medical school admissions exam, she didn't go to one of her college professors. She called her high school chemistry teacher, Mr.
Steve Thennis, who gave her a refresher course. While Connors was well-prepared for college academically, having taken honors and AP courses, she credits music and athletics with helping her develop the discipline and fortitude she needed to meet the rigors of medical school and a career in medicine. Connors sang in the "Starlighters Choir" at Helena High and competed in soccer and track all four years of high school.
With two children of her own now in public school, Connors shared her concern that lack of school funding in Arizona and her native Montana will cut into the arts, athletics and extracurricular activities that fueled her success. These are the student experiences and opportunities that are in jeopardy due to Montana's outdated school funding formula. For the 2024-25 school year, our district reduced the hours of elementary PE and music that are taught by certified instructors.
While we still off er these programs, we're no longer able to off er elementary students the same experience they have enjoyed for so many years. Music and PE teachers who served a single school or two smaller schools previously now serve three schools in some cases and may only see some classes once every two weeks. The "well-rounded" quality public education that so greatly benefitted Connors, and which is guaranteed by Montana's Constitution, is what we're advocating for as we enter the 2025 Legislative Session now fast upon us.
I look forward to keeping you updated as our statewide education community seeks the funding we need to continue Montana's legacy of high-quality public education. I firmly believe that we can pull together as a community and a state to support our schools for our current and future generations of students. Rex Weltz is superintendent of Helena Public Schools.
Reach him at 406-324-2001 or ..
