Helena High School
Coordinates: 46°35′43″N 112°01′08″W / 46.59528°N 112.01889°W
Helena High School | |
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![]() The original building, circa 1891 | |
Address | |
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1300 Billings Avenue , United States | |
Information | |
Type | Public high school |
Established | 1876 |
School district | Helena Public School District |
Principal | Steve Thennis |
Campus Director | Stephanie Thennis |
Teaching staff | 103.50 (FTE)[1] |
Grades | 9 through 12 |
Enrollment | 1,538 (2018–19)[1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 14.86[1] |
Color(s) | Cardinal red and white |
Athletics | AA (largest class in Montana) |
Mascot | Bengals |
Nickname | HHS |
Rival | Helena Capital High School |
Accreditation | Montana Office of Public Instruction |
Website | Helena High Web site |
Helena High School is a public high school for grades 9 through 12 located in Helena, Montana, United States. It is part of the Helena Public School District. Founded in September 1876, it is the oldest high school in the state of Montana.[2] A new building was completed in August 1935 and it was almost destroyed a few months later in the 1935 Helena earthquake.[3] In 1955, the building became Helena Junior High School (now Helena Middle School) and Helena High School moved into its present location at 1300 Billings Avenue, just off Montana Avenue.
Curriculum[]
Four foreign languages are taught at Helena High: French, German, Latin, and Spanish. The English Department, with 22 faculty, offers instruction in English literature and composition, as well as elective studies. Students are encouraged to take honors and Advanced Placement (AP) in English, math, science, and history. There are also many elective options.
Extracurricular activities[]
There are many extra-curricular clubs and activities for students to get involved at Helena High School.[4] School athletic teams include:
- Basketball – Boys and Girls
- Cross Country – Boys and Girls
- Fast Pitch Softball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer – – Boys and Girls
- Swimming
- Tennis – Boys and Girls
- Track and Field – Boys and Girls
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Speech and Debate
Notable alumni[]
- Max Baucus, former United States Senator and United States Ambassador to China (graduated in 1959)[5]
- Steve Bullock, former governor of Montana
- Dan Carpenter, NFL placekicker for the Buffalo Bills
- Gary Cooper, Academy Award winning actor (dropped out in his sophomore year)
- Chuck Darling, member of 1956 Summer Olympics basketball gold medalists, First team All-American at University of Iowa
- Pat Donovan, NFL tackle for the Dallas Cowboys
- L. Ron Hubbard, author and the founder of Scientology; enrolled at Helena High during his junior year
- Carol Judge (1958), First Lady of Montana (1973–1980); healthcare activist and registered nurse[6]
- Ian MacDonald (born Ulva Pippy), actor on film and television[7]
- Colin Meloy, lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists
- Maile Meloy, author
- Robert Farris-Olsen, attorney and member of the Montana House of Representatives
- Kimberly Reed, director and producer of Prodigal Sons
- William Roth, former member of the United States Senate from Delaware
- A. L. Strand, president of Montana State College (1937–1942) and Oregon State University (1942–1961)[8]
- Joseph P. Mazurek, former Montana Attorney General and member of the Montana Senate
Footnotes[]
- ^ a b c "Helena High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ Superintendent of Public Instruction, p. 57. Accessed 2011-05-10.
- ^ "Helena, Montana 1935 10 19 04:48 UTC (local 10/18) Magnitude 6.3 Intensity VIII". Historic Earthquakes. USGS. 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ http://hhs.helenaschools.org/extracurricular/activities/ Helena High School website
- ^ Max Baucus. "A National Leader With Montana Values". Max Baucus. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
- ^ "Carol Ann Judge, 73". Daily Inter Lake. 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ^ "Ulva Pippy dies in Bozeman". The Independent Record. Montana, Helena. April 14, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved December 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dr. A.L. Strand Elected President State College to Succeed Dr. Atkinson." Helena Independent. July 13, 1937.
Bibliography[]
- Superintendent of Public Instruction. Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Vol. II. Montana Department of Public Instruction. Helena, Mont.: Independent Publishing Co., 1903.
External links[]
- Public high schools in Montana
- Buildings and structures in Helena, Montana
- Schools in Lewis and Clark County, Montana
- 1876 establishments in Montana Territory
- Western United States school stubs
- Montana building and structure stubs