In honor of the Farmington High School 2023 graduating class, we are highlighting a few of our outstanding seniors. These students have been nominated by Farmington Area Public Schools staff members for exhibiting hard work and pursuing their spark with passion during their time at FHS. Today’s Senior Spotlight is: Madison Dinneen!

Farmington High School offers learners many practical and hands-on learning experiences, especially in the Family and Consumer Sciences department. A state approved program of study in human services is among the variety of classes offered at Farmington High School to nourish learners’ sparks and prepare them for future careers. The program of study includes a series of three child development classes which culminates in a practicum, called the Learning Lab, where high school students design and teach preschool lessons to actual preschoolers. To participate in the Learning Lab, students must first take the Developing Babies and Toddlers to Teens classes. Each class is a trimester long, so this program can be completed in one school year.

Earlier this month, learners at Farmington Elementary School excitedly welcomed Michael Hall, the author/illustrator of The New York Times bestseller, My Heart Is Like a Zoo, as well as other popular children's books such as Perfect Square, Red: A Crayon’s Story, and Frankencrayon, to their Media Center for a day of reading and Q&A sessions.

With the Minnesota Legislature scheduled to finish its work and adjourn on Monday, May 22, school districts around the state are awaiting the final approval of the Omnibus Education Bill. The provisions included in this bill will outline the funding districts will receive for the next two years and also likely include other provisions that will impact how districts operate. “While we are hopeful that the final bill will provide additional funding for our district, the final impact will not be known until the bill is approved by the House and Senate, and signed by Governor Walz,” said Farmington Area Public Schools Superintendent Jason Berg. The details of the final bill are important because more than 70% of the district’s funding comes from the state. Legislative action can have an impact on both the district’s revenue and expenditures, as well as the financial planning for future years.

Families and community members were invited to enjoy an evening of local art, viewing pieces from ISD 192 students in all grades from all 8 schools across the district on May 4th. This was the first full, district-wide art show in several years and it did not disappoint! Families, friends, teachers and school staff came out to support the young artists and enjoy a wide variety of artistic endeavors. From paintings and drawings to sculptures and ceramics there was something for everyone!

Congratulation to Dan Thompson, Assistant Principal at Robert Boeckman Middle School, on being selected as the Minnesota Association of Secondary Principals (MASSP) Capital Division Assistant Principal of the Year!

Farmington High School students submitted 16 entries to the Minnesota State High School League 1AA Art Competition in many categories including Computer Based Artwork, Ceramics, Drawing, Sculpture, and 2D Mixed Media Collage. Altogether they received 8 Excellent Ratings, 8 Superior Ratings, and 2 Best in Category.

Families with learners who currently take iPads home in grades K-11 may now opt to checkout their district issued iPads for the summer months! This is our eighth year offering optional summer iPad checkout. Last year nearly 75% of eligible families and students opted to check out their issued iPads. Using RevTrak to agree to the updated 2023-24 iPad Loan Agreement will ensure that your child is set with their iPad check out for the entire 2023-24 academic year.

The state of MN released the graduation rates for the 2021-22 school year on Tuesday. The graduation rate for the class of 2022 was 83.6% (58,586 students), which represents a 0.2 percentage point increase in students from 2021. As a district we saw our graduation rate jump from 91.9% in 2020-21 to 94.1% in 2021-22. In addition, we have another 2.3% of the class of 2022 that are continuing to pursue their FHS diploma.

Students from each of the eight schools in ISD 192 are invited at various times throughout the school year to showcase their learning at School Board meetings. Learners from Riverview Elementary, Meadowview Elementary, and Levi P. Dodge Middle School we're invited to attended the April 24th School Board meeting.

Superintendent Berg will be recommending a new principal of Farmington High School to the ISD 192 School Board during the April 24, 2023 meeting.

Because more than 70% of our district’s funding comes from the state of Minnesota, district leaders regularly monitor legislative proposals to determine how the district will be affected. Legislative action can have an impact on both the district’s revenue and expenditures, as well as the financial planning for future years.

Students from each of the eight schools in ISD 192 are invited at various times throughout the school year to showcase their learning at School Board meetings. Learners from Farmington Elementary, Robert Boeckman Middle School, and Farmington High School attended the March 27th School Board meeting.

We wanted to share an update with you about our budget planning for the 2023-2024 school year and beyond. This follows our budget update sent on March 14, 2023 and the School Board meeting on March 27th, both of which can be viewed at www.farmington.k12.mn.us.

Each spring students from ISD 192’s five elementary schools host their own unique science fairs. The students in grades 3-5 may go on to the Southern Minnesota Regional Science and Engineering Fair in late April. Farmington Area Public Schools, ISD 192 would like to extend a warm congratulations to all the elementary students who chose to participate in this year’s science fair! Below are some highlights from each school’s 2023 science fair.

Along with the many great things that happen in our classrooms every day, we are already planning for the next school year. We wanted to share an update with you about our budget planning for the 2023-2024 school year and beyond.

At the March 13, 2023 School Board meeting, Superintendent Berg will recommend the appointment two new elementary school principals in ISD 192. This follows the retirement of Dr. Steven Geis from North Trail Elementary earlier this year and the upcoming retirement of Dr. Kim Grengs from Riverview Elementary at the end of the school year.

This year two Farmington Area Public Schools, ISD 192 teachers were honored with the Intermediate School District 917 Inclusive Educator Award for their work to support the inclusion of the unique learners that are served in our school buildings.