Exciting Updates on Focus School Applications for the 2025-26 School Year!
We’re thrilled to share the next steps in our district’s Focus School initiative, following approval at the November School Board meeting. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, our district will expand its elementary school offerings to include:
Bridges Community School (Global Studies)
Jefferson Elementary (Outdoor/Nature-Based)
Rosa Parks Elementary (STEAM- Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math)
At MAPS, we are committed to offering innovative educational opportunities that meet the diverse needs of our students. With these updates, families can now choose from three unique elementary school models:
Neighborhood Schools foster a strong sense of community, helping students feel connected to the people and places around them. These schools include Eagle Lake, Franklin, Hoover, Kennedy, Monroe, Roosevelt, and Washington.
Neighborhood+ Schools blend the neighborhood school experience with additional enrollment options centered on specific themes, enhancing learning and engagement. These schools include Jefferson and Rosa Parks.
Community School brings together students from across the district through an application process, offering a specialized, nontraditional public school experience. This includes Bridges Community School.
Focus School Enrollment Timeline
Selecting the right school for your child is an important decision! Here’s what you need to know about the application process:
Application Window: November 25, 2024 - January 24, 2025
Notification of Enrollment: February 14, 2025
Deadline to Accept/Decline: March 1, 2025
If applications are submitted after the window closes, they will automatically be added to a waitlist. Students may be admitted from the waitlist until July 15, 2025.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted through the Infinite Campus Online Parent Portal now through January 24th, 2025. We encourage families to explore their options by scheduling a tour at the focus schools that interest them most.
To learn more about our focus schools and the application process, visit our Focus School webpage.
We’re excited about this new chapter in our district’s commitment to future-focused education.
The annual Climb to Feed Kids event at Mt. Kato will be taking place Sunday, February 2. It's an amazing community event benefiting an organization that supports over 1000 elementary students in the Greater Mankato Area. To learn more about the organization and what they do for our community, click here: Feeding our Community Partners
Franklin School has a team of teachers competing in this event each year, and this year is no different. If you'd like to support our team, you can donate here: Franklin Team Page
Collaborating with area legislators is an important part of our work as a school system. Because we are a public institution, responsible for serving a large percentage of the school-aged children in our region, it's vital for us to work with lawmakers to help them understand the challenges we face and the areas of greatest need we experience. Likewise, it's important for us to hear the issues that are priorities for our legislators and the interests they serve. Linked below is the MAPS Legislative Platform we shared with area legislators when district leaders met with them on Dec. 16th.
Winter Weather typically brings with it a lot of questions from students and families around decisions we make as a school district. Last month we shared information around how decisions are made when temperatures drop to potentially dangerous levels. This month, we will share some questions and answers related to school delays and closures.
Who makes the late start / school closure decisions, and how are those decisions made? The superintendent makes the final call, with a whole host of community and regional partners weighing in throughout the process. Decisions are based on timing, forecasts, and current conditions, just to name a few factors that are considered.
Is school funding linked to late start, early out, closure decisions? No. If MAPS gets close to the minimum number of required school days / hours, we adjust the school calendar accordingly.
Do kids have to eat lunch at school in order for schools to “get paid” for the day? No, this has not been a part of school funding for a very long time.
Why doesn’t MAPS have e-learning days? It’s complicated, but meeting the requirements the Minnesota Dept. of Education places on e-learning days and the challenges we would face creating authentic learning experiences for our students that meet those requirements, are big reasons why we've made the decision as a system to stick with our traditional practices.
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Welcome Caregivers of Future Kindergarten Students!
We are excited to welcome your child to Mankato Area Public Schools in Fall 2025! Kindergarten is a crucial time for growth in academics, social skills, and emotional development, setting the stage for your child's K-12 journey.
Ready to Enroll?
Visit https://www.isd77.org/enroll to access the online enrollment form. The online enrollment form can be completed on a variety of devices including a computer, tablet or smartphone. Parents can also call 507-387-2125 or email centralregistration@isd77.org to make an appointment with Central Registration staff if they need help completing the enrollment form.
The Cognitive Abilities (CogAt) Screener testing window will be open from February 3rd through Feb. 14th. The CogAt will be given to all 2nd grade students and new-to-district students in grades 3-5 who have not yet taken this assessment.
The CogAt provides insight into students’ abilities and guides educators in making appropriate educational decisions for students. Mankato Area Public Schools use the CogAt in the following ways:
to help educators differentiate instruction for the needs and abilities of a student;
to understand discrepancies between a student’s ability and achievement; and
to use as a measure in identifying students for placement in Talent Development Services, including cluster and Rising Scholar classrooms.
In grade 2, the CogAt is untimed. Students in a typical 2nd grade class generally take less than one hour to complete the CogAt, In grades 3-5, the CogAt will take approximately 45 minutes. The CogAt has three sections: verbal analogies, quantitative analogies, and nonverbal matrices. There will be short breaks between sections.
If you do NOT want your child to take the Cognitive Abilities Screener, please contact the Franklin office no later than Wednesday, January 29th.
*JOB OPPORTUNITIES*
From the Fabulous Franklin PTO
The next PTO meeting is tonight, Monday evening, January 13, starting at 6:30 PM in the Franklin media center. We encourage any and all parents interested in making a positive impact for kids at Franklin to attend these meetings and/or volunteer at PTO-sponsored events.
