Raider Update
April 30, 2023
Message from the Superintendent
Good afternoon Raider Families,
This is a fast-paced time of year for staff, students and families in Hastings Public Schools. Thank you for supporting your students as we start the last month of the school year.
Along with other updates and information, I have also used this space to talk about our budget realities for more than a year now. In about two months the School Board will have enough data from community engagement efforts, a public opinion survey and the outcome of the legislative session to make a decision that proactively addresses our budget before it becomes a crisis.
There are four things I would like you to know about our situation in Hastings Public Schools:
Strong schools = strong community. We have excellent schools, committed students, dedicated staff, highly engaged parents/caregivers, and a generous community.
The Hastings Public School District continues to proactively adjust our finances.
Inflation, declining revenues, and an expiring operating levy are driving factors that will continue to negatively impact our financial situation beyond any internal adjustments.
A district Levy Referendum worth approximately $3 million annually will expire, if not renewed in November, and the school board is gauging the feasibility of increasing the levy.
Over the next month, I will provide more detail about each of these items so that you know more about our situation.
Strong Schools = Strong Community
In a survey last summer, 92% of our community agrees that strong public schools are directly linked to the well-being of our community. We’re a geographically large school district, encompassing five communities, seven townships and 170 square miles. Our dedicated team of 569 staff members serves more than 4,000 students each day at six sites. Community members last summer told us schools are doing well and that makes the community better. 65% of our community gave us a grade of A or B - nationally, 44% of community members give their local district an A or B grade, on average.
Last year, in our Strong Schools:
76% of secondary students passed all of their classes
649 credits were recovered at the high school
Under 10% chronic absences
70% of elementary students were reading at grade level
Our students exceeded state averages on:
ACT college entrance exam (a 22.4 average score)
State MCA test scores began movement in a position direction once we were back to in person learning
Graduation rate (95.6%).
Students are at the heart of all we do, and students are responding because we have dedicated staff, highly engaged parents/caregivers, and a generous community.
Bob McDowell, Ed.D.
Superintendent
The ITEEA Awards Hastings High School the Program Excellence Award
At the recent 85th annual conference for the International Technology and Engineering Educator Association (ITEEA), the Industrial Technology Program at Hastings High School was recognized as one of only 37 programs worldwide to earn the prestigious Program Excellence Award in 2023.
Sponsored by the ITEEA and Paxton/Patterson, the Program Excellence Award is one of the highest honors given to Technology and Engineering classroom programs on the elementary, middle or high school levels. It is presented in recognition of outstanding contributions to the profession and students. Schools from all over the United States and around the world compete for this honor.
Each year the Program Excellence winners are recognized at the largest conference for Technology & Engineering Educators in the world. This year the program at Hastings High School was recognized at the first general session of the conference where the award plaques and pins were presented.
“We are exceptionally proud to present this award to Hastings High School. This recognition commemorates your hard work and determination in building a program that serves students and will make a difference far into the future. We thank you and I am certain that your students thank you every day for the opportunity you’ve created. We’re honored to help support the ITEEA and these outstanding educators,” said Nate Schuessler, CEO, Paxton/Patterson.
Erik Dietz, one of the Industrial Technology Program teachers at Hastings High School stated, “it is truly an honor to be recognized for our efforts to create meaningful, relevant experiences for students that they can use beyond high school in either a college / training setting or directly in the workforce.”
Pictured are the instructors of the Industrial Technology Program of Hastings High School receiving the Program Excellence Award at the 85th International Technology and Engineering Educator’s Association Conference in Minneapolis, MN. (Left to right; Erik Dietz, Nathan Neuman, and Dave Davenport.)
Hastings Public Schools
- Kennedy Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7221
- McAuliffe Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7390
- Pinecrest Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7280
- Hastings Middle School (5-8) 651-480-7060
- Hastings High School (9-12) 651-480-7470
- Hastings Alternative Learning Center 651-480-7690
- Tilden Community Center 651-480-7670
*If you need any assistance in translating the Raider Update, contact us at kgorr@isd200.org.
Website: www.hastings.k12.mn.us
Location: 1000 11th Street West, Hastings, MN, USA
Phone: 651-480-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hastingspublicschools