Weekly Newsletter

Duluth Public Schools is implementing a new transportation software this school year.

The District is updating Infinite Campus multiple times a day before the start of school. Please check your Infinite Campus Parent Portal for updates to bus route information prior to the start of school.

To improve the efficiency and the changing needs for families, bus routes may be updated from previous years.

A message was sent out this week to families thru Infinite Campus with bus information. A form was provided for families to fill out if changes were needed.

Thank you for your continued patience during this transition.

All students are required to provide proof of immunization, or appropriate documentation exempting the student from such immunization as a condition of enrollment.

Exclusion from school will occur if immunizations, medical exemption or objection requirements are not met within 30 days of the start of the school year. For the 2023-24 school year, requirements must be met by Oct. 13, 2023.

If a parent/guardian is claiming an exemption for medical reasons that an immunization can not be received or because of conscientiously held beliefs, they must either submit a statement from a physician stating the immunization is not medically advised or submit a notarized statement, signed by the parent/guardian – or if the student is an emancipated person, by the emancipated person – stating that the student has not been immunized because of conscientiously held beliefs.

If the student’s school does not receive proof of immunization or exemption by Oct. 13, 2023, the child will be sent home from school and discharged from enrollment beginning Oct. 23, 2023. It will then be necessary for the parent/guardian to re-enroll the child after immunization requirements have been met before the child can return to school. If parents/guardians have any questions, please contact your child’s school nurse.

Please note that students entering kindergarten, 7th grade and 12th grade have age specific immunization requirements.

More information about required immunizations can be found at isd709.org/families/health-services.

The following information is required by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to provide district-level summary data—without personal, identifying information—to MN legislators, MN agency staff and their external partners for the purpose of improving educational outcomes and digital access for public school students across the state.

Please fill in the following survey based on how you use electronic devices to complete schoolwork at your home.

We appreciate you taking the time to help us gather this valuable information!

Click here to fill out the survey.

Did you know that at least one out of every 10 students in the United States misses 10 percent of the school year? That’s the point when absences—excused or unexcused—start to add up to academic trouble. These attendance gaps lead to achievement gaps.

Starting in kindergarten, chronic absence leads to 3rd graders unable to read well. By 6th grade, it’s a warning sign that students will fail classes or even drop out of high school.

This September, join Duluth Public Schools, and let’s all work together to make sure all kids attend today so they can achieve tomorrow.

Thousands of our students, families, and community partners helped to make the 2nd Annual Unity in Our Community a HUGE success! Bayfront Festival Park was packed with food, games, informational booths and back-to-school essentials. The afternoon was filled with excitement and a strong, unified community. We hope you'll join us in 2024!

• Nearly 50 million students will be enrolled in public schools across the country. About 34 million will be in grades PreK-8, with the rest in grades 9-12.

• The vast majority (about 91%) of PreK-12 students nationwide attend public schools.

• The average public school has 526 students.

• Although the most common language spoken at home by public school students remains English, more than 400 languages are spoken by students in public schools across the country.

• Public schools are dealing with a significant teacher shortage. There will be more than 100,000 unfilled teaching positions this school year, especially affecting areas like special education, bilingual education, and STEM.

Source: Learning First Alliance

I Stand with Kids is a month-long campaign to be launched on September 1 with

the goal of fostering connections and conversation between children and caring adults. I Stand

With Kids stems from the fundamental belief that every community member can do something

to ensure that kids in Duluth have positive experiences that contribute to their success in school

and in life.

Duluth Thrives, First Witness CAC, and its Child Abuse Prevention Coalition collaborated in

putting together the attached "One Caring Adult," 30 Day Challenge: I Stand With Kids Month.

The calendar provides 30 positive, youth-centered activities to do with children all in the spirit

of building caring and nurturing relationships. It is the organizations’ hope that the calendar will

also raise awareness of the powerful impact that "One Caring Adult" can have and how positive

relationships contribute towards building resiliency in a child.

The community is encouraged to take part in the “One Caring Adult” 30 Day Challenge by

following along and taking part in the daily activities. More information and resources can be

found on the Duluth Thrives website: htps://sites.google.com/view/duluththrives.

Duluth Thrives’ mission is to reduce the instances of childhood adversity and their impacts on

the communities in the Twin Ports and has a vision to be a catalyst for awareness around

childhood adversity and to lay the foundation for community resiliency. Members of Duluth

Thrives come from a variety of organizations and from throughout their communities. They are

university faculty, retired teachers, and guidance counselors whose lives have been impacted by

trauma.

Dear Duluth Public Schools Staff,

Duluth Public Schools is incredibly fortunate to be a part of a supportive community. The thousands of people who attended our annual Unity in Our Community event on August 21 can attest to the enthusiastic support for our students and schools.

As we turn our attention to the first day of school, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with

you our new website dedicated to the referendum that will be taking place this November,

FutureForward709.org.

We created this website to inform parents, staff and residents about the two-question

referendum that the district is asking voters to consider on Tuesday, November 7.

If approved by voters, the referendum will provide approximately $7.9 million to protect and

strengthen academic and mental health support, expand and enrich high school curriculum and

invest in learning technology throughout the district.

The district had been using one-time COVID-relief funds to support these essential services,

which produced positive outcomes for our students. However, that funding has ended. We are

committed to providing all students with the solutions and support they need to succeed. Now,

our district faces difficult decisions. Making continued investments in these services without new

revenue would require the district to cut millions from our budget, which would impact other

areas of classroom education, student services and staff.

I encourage everyone to visit FutureForward709.org to learn more about the district’s

challenges, proposed plan, and the cost and tax impact of the plan. The website also provides

important information on how to vote and answers to frequently asked questions.

If you have any questions or feedback about the referendum, please do not hesitate to reach

out to me at superintendent@isd709.org or 218-336-8752.

In less than one week, we will welcome our students back to school. Our incredibly talented and

dedicated staff has been working hard to prepare for an engaging and rewarding school year

that helps each student learn and grow. I am confident this year will be a year of great

accomplishment for all.

Enjoy the final days of summer!

John Magas

Superintendent