SchoolTalk

On Tuesday, April 14, Fargo Public Schools held its annual Multilingual Learner Program Review. Each year, this review gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the successes we are seeing in our ML program, identify areas where we still need to grow, and clarify next steps as we continue to strengthen support for students and families.

Read more about the ML Program Review in this Feature Column by Director of Standards-Based Instruction Dr. Liann M. Hanson

Congratulations to Jefferson Elementary School Principal Beth Olson on being named the YWCA Cass Clay Woman of the Year recipient in the Advocating for Equality category! Olson received this award at the 53rd Annual YWCA Cass Clay Women of the Year event on April 20 at Delta by Marriott in Fargo.

This year's YWCA Cass Clay Women of the Year event, presented by Sanford Health, honored 34 women from Cass and Clay counties who shape the community through their passion, service, and achievements. With a crowd of more than 800 guests, the evening culminated in the announcement of the 2026 YWCA Women of the Year recipients in 10 categories.

Photo courtesy Britta the Photographer

Congratulations to the Fargo Public Schools students who competed and qualified for the national competition at the National History Day State Competition on April 14 at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum. Eight projects from FPS qualified for nationals. National qualifiers are eligible to compete in the National History Day National Contest on June 14-18 at the University of Maryland. View the complete list of National Qualifiers.

Congratulations to the 20 Fargo Public Schools students who were recognized as new inductees into the National Technical Honor Society at the Fargo NTHS induction ceremony on April 9 at the Wanzek Center for Scouting. Students earned induction by maintaining a 3.5 GPA in Career and Technical Education courses and a 3.0 GPA overall, completing two credits in a CTE pathway, and being active members in a Career and Technical Student Organization to be inducted.

Inductees

• South: Anna Wurgler, Katherine Mahli, Natalia Kjelland, Neha Subba, Webeline Naklen, Ella Willey, Signe Steier
• North: Kenleigh Fischer, Elizabeth Johnson, Olivia Hansen, Sophia Leclair, Jersey Egge, Ruth Inyu, Elizabeth Johnson, Keely Klimek, Kaitlyn Weisenburg, Isabelle McKay
• Davies: Willson Rai, Sadie Brewer, Kenneth Biewer

The South High School Drone Racing Team recently completed its regular season and will compete in the Regional Tournament, featuring schools from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota at NDSU on May 1. South will have teams competing in Capture the Flag, Solo Simulator, Solo First-Person View, and Team First-Person View.

Congratulations to South High School seniors Tameka Limvere and Elsie Becker on signing their National Letters of Intent to compete in college basketball. Limvere will be continuing her academic and athletic career at North Dakota State College of Science and Becker will be continuing her academic and athletic career at Hamline University.

Fargo Public Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for their outstanding support and commitment to music education. This award recognizes districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students. FPS has received this award for 17 consecutive years and 23 times overall.

Meet Lewis & Clark Elementary School Instructional Coach Leah LeClair in this week's Employee Spotlight.

The Fargo Public Schools Human Capital Department wants to shine a spotlight on its valuable employees who have a tremendous positive impact on the District's students, staff, and families. The District's educators are crucial to achieving our goal of educating and empowering all students to succeed and are dedicated to the idea that we are stronger together. HC has selected FPS staff members who are deserving of greater recognition and will highlight them each week.

There will be NO SCHOOL next Friday, MAY 1 due to the unused school makeup day. Classes will resume as regularly scheduled on Monday, May 4.

Set your kindergartener up for success! Get them registered before their school's Kindergarten Round-Up coming up in early May. These events aim to help students and families get more comfortable with their new school environment and know what to expect when they start school on Wednesday, August 26. Families will receive a tour of the school building and hear an overview of what a day of kindergarten looks like.

Families must complete pre-registration prior to attending kindergarten round-up. Your child is eligible to attend school in the fall if they turn 5 by July 31, 2026. Visit the FPS kindergarten registration webpage to learn more about the registration process and view the kindergarten round-up schedule.

Kindergarten Registration will close on May 15 and a second round of registration will reopen in July with a different process.

Fargo Public Schools invites the public to a public comment meeting about the District’s application for Federal Title grant funds for the 2026-27 school year. Title funds are used to provide services to students who are homeless, professional development and training opportunities for teachers, services for students learning English as a second language, activities to support a well-rounded education for all students, and more. Title funds must be used for services above and beyond those provided to students through local funds.

The meeting for public comment on Title funds will be held on May 4, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Office, located at 700 7th Street South, Fargo.

In partnership with Fargo Public Schools and the Fargo Police Foundation, the Fargo Police Department is inviting the community to help choose two winning designs in the School Resource Officer squad car design contest. Public voting is open on the department’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and will remain open until 4 p.m. today, April 23.

The contest features two divisions, middle school and high school. In each division, the design that receives the most total reactions or votes across all platforms will be selected as the winner. Winners will be notified and announced on Friday, April 24. To vote, simply like or react to your favorite designs in this post.

The two winning designs will be professionally produced and displayed on the Fargo Police Department School Resource Officer squad car for their school during the 2026–2027 school year. This project is fully funded by the Fargo Police Foundation, with no taxpayer dollars used.

Thank you to all the students who submitted designs. It was not easy to narrow it down, and we look forward to seeing two of these designs on our squad cars next school year.

South High School presents Eurydice Thursday, April 30 to Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. in the South High School Theater.

Euridyce by Sarah Ruhl is a reimagining of the classic Greek myth, told from the perspective of the heroine, Eurydice, who dies on her wedding day and travels to the underworld. In the afterlife, she reunites with her deceased father and struggles to remember her life and love for Orpheus, while he journeys to rescue her.

Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults and can be purchased on the Fargo Public Schools Online Theater Box Office website. A fee will be charged for credit card purchases.

Summer EBT will be available to eligible families in North Dakota this summer. This program provides additional help for families with children to buy nutritious food when school is not in session. The benefit is $120 per eligible school-aged child and must be used within 122 days of issuance. Most families will get these benefits automatically, but some will need to apply.

Households already participating in SNAP, FDPIR, or TANF will be automatically enrolled in the Summer EBT program. Households not automatically enrolled and may be eligible can apply for Summer EBT by filling out a simple application. Learn more and apply on the Summer EBT Portal.

Fargo Public Schools invites parents and caregivers to share their thoughts through the Districtwide Climate and Culture Survey. Schools and district staff use the results to review current practices and to plan for the upcoming school year. The survey closes next Thursday, April 30.

This input helps shape decisions that support students, families, and staff. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and gives parents and caregivers a chance to share their experiences in our schools. Caregivers are invited to complete a survey for each school their child attends this year. This feedback is important

The Fargo Public Schools Building Trades homes built by high school students are for sale! Buyer responsible for lot, moving of the house, flooring, HVAC, foundation, and applicable taxes and fees. View the listings for the South High School house and the North High School house.

The Friends of the Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead Public Libraries are celebrating National Library Week 2026 with a Metro-Wide Used Book Sale Crawl this Thursday-Saturday, April 23-25. Visitors can grab a punch card at any participating location, then earn stamps by visiting the Moorhead Public Library, the West Fargo Public Library, and at least one of the Fargo Public Library locations. Collect all three stamps to be entered to win a prize.

Email: comments@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: www.fargo.k12.nd.us
Location: 700 7th Street South, Fargo, ND
Phone: 701.446.1000