In yeast, three small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are essential for the processing of pre‐ribosomal RNA—U3, U14 and snR30—whereas 72 non‐essential snoRNAs direct site‐specific modification of pre‐rRNA. We applied a quantitative screen for alterations in the pre‐ribosome association to all 75 yeast snoRNAs in strains depleted of eight putative helicases implicated in 40S subunit synthesis. For the modification‐guide snoRNAs, we found no clear evidence for the involvement of these helicases in the association or dissociation of pre‐ribosomes. However, the DEAD box helicase Rok1 was required specifically for the release of snR30. Point mutations in motif I, but not in motif III, of the helicase domain of Rok1 impaired the release of snR30, but this was less marked than in strains depleted of Rok1, and resulted in a dominant‐negative growth phenotype. Dissociation of U3 and U14 from pre‐ribosomes is also dependent on helicases, suggesting that release of the essential snoRNAs might differ mechanistically from release of the modification‐guide snoRNAs.