Every individual vote can make a difference. We are seeking individuals who:
Posted March 24th
All Kids Matter shared Save Central Helena's post. ... See MoreSee Less
Posted February 27th
All Kids Matter shared Save Central Helena's post.The City Commission will decide TODAY whether or not they approve the district's application to demolish Central. Already, the Heritage Tourism Council has determined that the district's application is INCOMPLETE, meaning that if the City Commission should decide to approve the ordinance they may well be violating their own ordinance requiring every component of the application to be complete. That would set a precedent under which future inadequate demolition applications could be approved -- in other words, create a legal mess. The City does have an option, however: allow for renovation that does not demolish the entire building. It sure would be nice to see the City, the district, and the preservation community working together to get Central repaired and reopened for school. ... See MoreSee Less
Posted February 24th
Here's a message from the Montana Preservation Alliance regarding options for Central and the upcoming City Commission meeting: The Helena City Commission will consider the Helena School District's request to demolish Central School on February 27 @ 6:00 pm at the City-County Building, City Commission Room 330. The City Commission will vote to approve, deny, or table the request. The meeting agenda includes many attachments including the demolition permit, letters, and several past reports on the condition of Central School.This is your opportunity to comment in person on the future of Central School and historic downtown Helena. The Commissioners can ask the school district to work with architects to find a compromise design that preserves the historic integrity of Central School and the surrounding neighborhood, while creating a new 21st century learning environment. The School District and the City Commission have options that will lead to a bond that the community can rally around. To be very clear, MPA is opposed to demolition of Central School. We are not opposed to a school bond for Helena, and hope to see improved school facilities for all children soon. ... See MoreSee Less
Posted February 19th
All Kids Matter shared Save Central Helena's photo.The Montana Preservation Alliance created excellent architectural drawings showing how Central could be renovated and, with a minor addition, expanded. Those plans (see link, below) would boost Central into meeting or exceeding all standards for safety, classroom size, and energy efficiency. This CAN be done, and other districts have already accomplished this goal. So can we. Please, take time to call the Superintendent's office on the morning of Tuesday, Feb 21st and urge them to renovate, not demolish. 324-2001. Remember to make your comments to the City Commission as well, ASAP! ... See MoreSee Less
Posted February 17th
All Kids Matter shared Rick Ahmann's photo.Helena Realtor Rick Ahmann weighs in on the insanity of bulldozing one building to build another. (See below.) Has the board even considered the environmental cost of demolition and new construction? Nope. Consider this: demolition means wasting all the materials and energy put into the existing building, plus adding tons of waste to our landfill. TONS of waste. Then having to buy new materials to build a new school... Renovation, on the other hand, conserves energy and resources -- AND provides for more skilled labor jobs (as more cost is associated with labor than with materials). ... See MoreSee Less
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