The Helena school district showed up in multiple education stories this week, and the picture they paint together is one of an institution managing change from several directions at once. More than 200 Helena High seniors crossed the stage at Carroll College's Nelson Stadium — a milestone worth celebrating. Jim Darcy Elementary marked more than two decades of its agriculture education program, a quiet success story. But Hawthorne Elementary's future is uncertain as the district weighs what to do with a century-old building in the westside mansion district, and the school board held a work session at Central Elementary that residents may not even know happened. Meanwhile, just down the highway in Anaconda, the local paper that would have covered stories like these for 55 years printed its final edition this week. That last point matters to Helena too: a community's ability to hold its school board accountable depends partly on whether anyone is watching. The Hawthorne question will require public input. Residents should find out when that conversation is happening.