The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Helena High School
Helena High School is one of two comprehensive high schools serving Montana’s capital city and the Helena High School District. It sits in a city with a stable, government-anchored economy, Victorian-era architecture from its gold-rush founding, and ready access to national forest and mountain recreation. The school itself enrolls a large student body, a reflection of its role as the older of the city’s two traditional high schools. The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students from Hispanic, two-or-more-races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Asian backgrounds. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school in a middle to lower range of economic need compared to some peers.
State assessment data for this school provides an incomplete picture for the immediate past year. Proficiency rates, including for math, English language arts, and science, were reported as zero percent among tested students, but the tested count was also zero. The school serves grades nine through twelve, and Montana administers its statewide assessments in these subjects at the high school level, but the reporting here reflects grades three through eight, meaning the high school testing data was not captured in this source. A parent or resident seeking to understand academic performance at Helena High School should look to the school or district for the most recent high school-level results, including the ACT or other end-of-course exams that Montana uses for federal accountability in secondary grades.
Across districts in Lewis and Clark County, Helena High School’s overall proficiency index, as calculated from the available data, sits in the bottom quartile. Given that the data available for this calculation is limited and may not reflect the school’s actual performance on high school assessments, a parent should interpret this comparison with caution and seek additional information directly from the school.
The district that operates this school has recently asked voters for significant financial support. In 2023, voters approved a substantial school bond for facility upgrades across Helena Public Schools, with projects that include roof replacement, HVAC improvements, security upgrades, and science lab renovations at Helena High School. In 2024, voters approved separate general fund levies for the elementary and high school districts, raising money for educational programs and operational costs. These votes mean a lasting increase in property taxes for residents, a factor for any family considering a move into the district. The district also adopted a new K-5 English Language Arts curriculum aligned with a science-of-reading framework in 2024, though that change directly affects the elementary feeder schools rather than the high school itself.
Housing in the Helena area carries a cost that is somewhat above the national median home value, and rents have been rising at a moderate pace. A typical household in the area faces a choice between renting at a share of income that is near common benchmarks, or buying and paying a monthly mortgage that exceeds the typical rent. The local economy, anchored by state government, Carroll College, Helena College, Fort Harrison, and the medical community, provides steady employment but is not a fast-growth environment. The city’s population has grown slowly, and the housing market reflects that stability rather than a boom.
For a family trying to decide whether this school fits, the picture is one of a large, traditional public high school in a stable capital city with a strong outdoor recreation identity. The district has made recent investments in facilities and curriculum, and residents have backed those investments at the ballot box. The academic performance picture for the high school, based on the data available here, contains a gap that needs filling before a clear judgment can be made. A parent should ask the school for its most recent state test results and graduation rate, as those figures are not fully represented in this profile. The school’s size and its role as one of two comprehensive high schools in the city mean it draws from a broad cross-section of Helena’s population, offering a peer environment that reflects the community’s demographic and economic diversity.
See more original research from School Decision →