HELENA — The Vigilante Day Parade is coming up, and with it comments and questions—specifically, why can’t East Helena High School students participate in the longtime tradition?
According to both the East Helena and Helena school districts, it’s a district thing—the parade is organized, put on and supervised by Helena Public Schools.
When East Helena created a separate school district, East Helena Public Schools Superintendent Dan Rispens said they did ask Helena Public Schools officials if East Helena students could participate in the parade.
“At that time, they were not ready to discuss the possibility of EHHS being included,” Rispens wrote in an email to MTN News.
But Rispens said he understands why non-district kids are excluded from the Vigilante Day Parade—he was a Vigilante Parade chairperson when he taught at Helena High School, and he said there is a lot of work that goes into planning and executing the parade.
“Coordinating this effort between HHS and CHS takes considerable time and resources,” Rispens wrote. “Adding in an additional out-of-district school, staff, and students would require that much more in terms of communication and logistics. Then comes the whole question of insurance and liability which could take some time to work out between the two districts.”
As a relatively new school district, East Helena Public Schools is developing traditions of its own. The annual homecoming parade happens each fall and celebrates the town and high school. There is also 227 Day which celebrates the history of East Helena.
“I do know the East Helena kids and their parents are independent-minded and proud to be from East Helena,” Rispens wrote.
The Vigilante Day Parade will be held Friday, May 5 at 12:00 p.m. in downtown Helena.
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