Elementary School Transition Updates

1. The District did not renew its 45/15 application; all schools are on the traditional calendar.
2. The District will adhere to elementary students attending the school of their residence with a multi-year approach. 

3. Sumner is a racially identifiable school. What does that mean? Enrollment of protected-class students at a school is more than 20 percent compared to the number of protected-class students within the District (for the same grade levels served).

Three significant factors drove the Board's decision:

1. Per MDE, flex learning year (45/15) approvals are contingent upon meeting the school district's performance goals established in the District's plan under section 120B.11. (World's Best Workforce) Minnesota Rules, part 3500.1000 indicates flexible learning year programs shall be designed to accomplish at least one of the following:
   • Improve instructional quality.
   • Increase cost-effectiveness.
   • Make better use of community resources or available technology.
   • Establish an alternative eligibility criterion to identify pupils needing special education services. 
   Based on the data, the goals of the District's 45/15 schedule were not being achieved and inadvertently produced a racially identifiable school. The School Board presentation can be viewed here.
2. Discontinuing the 45/15 schedule allows for greater enrollment balance to the extent possible among the District's four elementary schools across demographic categories.
3. Discontinuing the 45/15 schedule allows us to plan for future enrollment growth by balancing building utilization throughout our system in a cost-effective manner.

• Enrollment balance to reflect the diversity of the Austin Public Schools
• Efficient use of building capacity and operations (i.e., staffing)
• Developing community through adhering to neighborhood attendance zones
• Long-term enrollment, building capacity trends, and future facility needs
• The impact of transportation and pedestrian patterns on students

The District is not altering attendance zones. The current attendance zones have been in place for nearly 30 years. The District is adhering to the established neighborhood schools' attendance zones to capitalize on space utilization among schools throughout the system and addressing a racially identifiable school.

Austin Public Schools ensures that all the District schools run well and efficiently. This means:

• Ensuring all schools are full or close to full capacity.
• Ensuring all seats in all schools are filled before building new ones saves taxpayer money in the operating and capital budgets of the school system.
• As previously shared, enrollment growth is expected to continue, and the District is engaged in a comprehensive facility assessment.

• The school board has the authority to “assign to each school and grade a proper number of pupils.” 
  See: Minnesota Statute §123B.02, subd. 2
• Attendance at a particular school is a privilege not a right for a pupil.
  See: Minnesota Statute §120A.36

Students currently in grade 3 may elect to stay enrolled in their current school. However, current kindergarten through 2nd grade students must attend their resident school in 2025-2026, regardless of where any older siblings attend. The exception to this is siblings with specialized programming.

Please click here to view the current boundaries.

All of our schools have staff to teach students with IEPs or 504s. Staff members from the current school will meet with staff members from the new school to go over the IEP/504 plans for any students who are moving between schools. Parents/guardians will be very involved in the transition because they are part of the IEP/504 team.

Students who attend specialized programming will continue to do so based on eligibility.

Our neighborhood schools model sometimes presents unique situations when one sibling qualifies for a district-wide program while the other does not. For example, when a student is accepted into a program such as the Pi program at Southgate, their younger sibling can attend the same school to keep the family together. 
 
An important consideration arises when the qualifying student exits the program: should the non-qualifying sibling remain at the same school or return to their neighborhood school? This question highlights the need to balance family convenience with the consistent application of our neighborhood school model. 
 
Currently, transportation is provided for both siblings if the qualifying student is eligible. Our practice allows siblings to attend the same school when one qualifies for a program. Beginning the 2025-26 school year, once the qualifying student leaves the program, the non-qualifying (or trailing) sibling is expected to return to their neighborhood school. This practice ensures fairness by equally applying the neighborhood school concept across all families, preventing preferential treatment. 
 
We understand that this process may influence family decisions, as parents will need to consider future school changes. Nevertheless, this approach supports the integrity of our neighborhood school model, ensuring that all students are treated equitably while still considering family circumstances during the qualifying student's time in the program. 
 
This clarification of practices ensures that we remain fair and consistent in applying our neighborhood school model while also addressing the needs of families with students in district-wide programs. 
 

No. The student's home address will determine their school of attendance. School-aged childcare is available for all students in grades PK-4. More information can be found here.

Students currently in grades 2-3 may elect to stay enrolled in their current school. However, current kindergarten and first grade students will be placed at a school with available seats, regardless of where the older sibling attends. The exception to this is siblings with specialized programming.

Yes, but you will be responsible for transportation if they stay at their current school building.   You will have the option to enroll your child in your new neighborhood school as well.  Once the school year ends, your child will need to transition into your new neighborhood boundary school. 

Please notify the District of your new address at 507-460-1937.  Your resident address as of August 1 will determine your designated resident school. 

Austin Public Schools asks for address verification through the Campus Portal annual renewals and new online enrollment applications.  You will be asked to upload proof of address (i.e. Utilities, Cell Phone, Cable, or Sanitation bill) during the online registration process. 

If your child does not currently attend their neighborhood school, then parents will need to transport their 3rd-4th grade students if they want to remain in the current school. For the duration of the time remain there, bussing will not be provided.  Students who live greater than 1 mile from their neighborhood school are eligible for District transportation to the neighborhood school. Eligible students may receive one before-school pick-up location and one after-school drop-off location.

The student's home address will determine their school of attendance, not childcare address. If the child is eligible for District transportation they may receive one before-school pick-up location and one after-school drop-off location, which could be the daycare location. If your child does not currently attend their neighborhood schools, then parents will need to transport their 3rd-4th grade students if they want to remain in the current school. For the duration of the time they wish to remain there, bussing will not be provided. 

Austin Public Schools is not a collection of different schools but a comprehensive school district. Your child will continue to have access to great teachers and support to continue to do well at a new school.

The most significant piece of advice is to stay positive! Children often learn behaviors from adults, so during transition times like these, it is important to remain optimistic and provide positive support for your child. Some helpful tips on change for children can be found here.

You can also reach in contact with your child’s school counselors, success coaches, or the principal.