Helena Flats School Board Votes to Return Superintendent to Full-Time Duties

The superintendent of a rural elementary school outside of Kalispell will return to full-time, in-person duties following the alleged assault of a student that resulted in criminal charges earlier this year.

The Helena Flats School District board of trustees on Tuesday night voted unanimously to bring Superintendent Andy Maheras back to the district full-time for the upcoming school year, which begins next week. Maheras has been working remotely since December 2023, a month after the administrator was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault following a September 2023 altercation with a 12-year-old student.

Maheras on July 25 pleaded no contest to one count of corporal punishment as part of a deal with the Flathead County Attorney’s Office. With a no contest plea, the defendant is not admitting guilt or fault, but believes that, given the evidence against them, they could be found guilty if their case were to go to trial. 

A separate internal investigation conducted in October 2023 by Missoula-based Kaleva Law Firm on behalf of the school district found that the superintendent engaged in corporal punishment during the altercation, as “hurting a student by grabbing him by the face is not proper restraint.”

During the Aug. 20 school board meeting, which was attended by around a dozen community members, Maheras read a statement in which he “[recognized] the challenges experienced by the school over this past year,” thanked the Helena Flats community for their support and explained the conditions of the no contest plea, but did not offer an apology or express explicit remorse.

Over the course of an hour, Helena Flats school board members, administrators and parents engaged in tense exchanges about the board’s transparency with families, as well as Maheras’ ability to engage safely with students.

When asked what steps he has taken to prevent physical altercations with students in the future, Maheras said he has “taken and completed a conflict resolution course and done some reading with regard to handling behavior in a different approach.”

Brian Ek, a former Helena Flats parent and school volunteer who regularly criticizes the school board at meetings, asked what steps had been taken to offer counseling to students following the assault. According to an affidavit filed by Flathead County Deputy Attorney Larissa Malloy, at least six minors witnessed the altercation between Maheras and the 12-year-old student, and parents during the board meeting said other students had learned about the assault and were “scared” of Maheras.

School board Chair Kevin Fritz said the students involved “were reached out to” by former Principal Allison Hawes, who resigned in March.

“I’ve had many parents come to me and tell me they are afraid to speak up, because they are afraid that their kids are the ones that are going to pay,” Jody Cooper, a Helena Flats parent, told the board. “I have children that have heard what has happened, and they’re afraid of [Maheras].”

Cooper said that she’s pulled four of her five children out of the school.

“I can look at Andy, and Andy can be a really good guy, but he can also have a temper. I think he needs to do anger management,” she said. “… Should he be in his position? No. He can get a different job where he’s not around children.”

Parents also raised concerns over the board’s transparency and communication with families. Joanna Adams, a Helena Flats parent, criticized the board for sending out a “one line email” about the assault after charges were filed against Maheras.

“Honestly, it’s been too long. I couldn’t remember. I remember we put out a statement. I don’t even remember what it was,” Fritz, the board chair, said in response to Adams.

Board members said that all meetings regarding Maheras’ employment were held publicly, with the exception of the conversations that took place in executive session pursuant to Montana privacy laws.

Glenda Brown, a grandmother of Helena Flats students, asked Maheras how he would deal with student discipline differently and navigate relationships with the “children who are scared of you now.”

With the hiring of new principal Mike Barton, Maheras said, he will “have no reason to be working with students other than walking in the hall.”

Barton, who previously worked with students with behavioral issues, emphasized his background in de-escalation and behavior management.

Trustee Keith Nelson said that with Barton on staff, Maheras will be able to “resume that friendly role without having to be the authoritarian” and that the district will “make sure that discipline and respect are shown in the schools.”

Brown asked if Maheras would be making an apology. She said, “Kids aren’t going to forget it, and the parents aren’t either.”

In response, Maheras said, “I’ve read my statement.”

Parents throughout the night continued to push for Maheras to offer an official apology to members of the school community.

Tina Rhodes, the mother of the 12-year-old assault victim, said, “The fact that he’s a grown man and can’t accept that and apologize to a child, there’s an issue there.”

Adams said that without an apology from Maheras, the district cannot expect children to learn to apologize to one another.

“If this is what an authority figure did, they should have more responsibility, to me, to actually stand up and issue something that is a real apology,” she said. “I don’t feel like this statement fits the bill.”

A handful of teachers and parents praised Maheras’ presence in the school.

Liz Baker, a third grade teacher at Helena Flats, said, “As a teacher, it’s nice to have a stronger, bigger male role model walking around, especially when we have really difficult situations in the classroom.”

Jessica Dyer, Helena Flats parent and former school board chair said, “Sometimes things happen, but in the long run, [Maheras] has brought stability to this school.”

Second grade teacher Ashley Cheesman said, “My students personally miss Mr. Andy,” adding that they “obviously are young enough to be unaware of the situation.”

Cooper, the parent who removed four of her children from the school, said that children in the school who have experienced trauma will feel unsafe coming to school if they know that Maheras “is aggressive.”

“How can they learn in that environment?” she asked the board.

Nelson, the trustee, said that he “would not vote to return [Maheras] if I felt that there was one instance where the traumatized kid would be at risk.”

Ahead of the board’s vote, trustee Chris Parson said the district needs a plan when bringing Maheras back to the building.

Trustees Fritz, Nelson, Parson and Jaclynne Magers voted unanimously to return Maheras to his in-person responsibilities. Trustee Marcus Blue was not present.

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