
As you're replenishing school supplies for the last few months of school, remember to save your receipts. The Minnesota Department of Revenue offers two valuable tax benefits for parents who purchase school supplies for their K-12 students: the K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction. These benefits can reduce parents’ taxes to increase their refund, but is only available for those who keep their receipts. Purchases for most school supplies, field trips, and musical instruments for school band are eligible.
Most Minnesota parents qualify for the K-12 subtraction, which reduces their taxable income. Parents under certain income limits may also qualify for the K-12 credit, which can refund up to 75% of their costs – even for parents who do not owe any taxes. More details here: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/press-release/2022-08-03/save-those-back-school-shopping-receipts-valuable-tax-benefits


Happy Read Across America Day! What better way to enjoy a beautiful day than with a good book? 📚


March is jam-packed with a lot of great highlights! In the coming weeks, we will celebrate Women’s History Month, Youth Art Month, Music in Our Schools Month, National Nutrition Month, and Social Work Month!


This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. To close out the week, we’re spotlighting Brooke, the office manager at Dakota Middle School. Learn a bit more about Brooke and her job: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1470553


RPS families - It's the end of the trimester, which means there is no school tomorrow, Friday, March 1. Our school staff will be participating in a professional development or end-of-trimester work day. We'll see the rest of our students on Monday!


This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. Today, we're spotlighting our Parent Teacher Associations, or PTAs. Lucy is the president of the Sunset Terrace PTA. Read more about her: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1470499


Rochester Public Schools is seeking a Chief Academic Officer! Learn more about this important position or submit an application: https://www.applitrack.com/rochester/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Cabinet.
Applications for the position of Chief Academic Officer will close on March 8, 2024.
Do you know someone that would be a good fit? Please share this posting with educational leaders who are able and eager to help RPS become a diverse school system in which every student thrives.

We would like to take the time to acknowledge some pioneer educators and education activists who helped pave the way for equality and integration. Starting with educators who opened some of the first schools to allow Black children in, to those who worked to end segregation, and to those who have worked to take education to the next level.


This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. Today, we’re spotlighting Louisa, a night custodian at Kellogg Middle School: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1472037


Last Friday, RPS hosted its third annual Special Olympics Unified Bowling event. This event was created to strengthen the relationships between RPS students with and without special needs. Our students had a great time bowling and playing arcade games!


The Special Education Teacher Pipeline Program is a grant program established as a Minnesota Statute last year, allowing school districts in our state to provide scholarships for staff to become trained, fully licensed special education teachers in order to provide effective instruction to students with disabilities. Through this program, Rochester Public Schools is honored to award over 20 of our teachers and staff scholarships for their SpED teaching license! Yesterday, some of our awardees gathered to celebrate and network with one another.

Rochester Public Schools is surveying families and community members to engage in conversation and seek feedback about a 2024 Referendum. We invite you to participate because your opinion is important to us!
The survey will remain open for responses until 11:59 p.m. on March 8, 2024.
Take the survey at this link: https://rochesterpsd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4HI6PWOEKbcIFpA


Don Barlow is on the RPS School Board as a director and is also the pastor of Community Baptist Church here in Rochester. We also talked with Erica Schumacher, the director of Early Learning here at RPS about their thoughts on Black History Month.
https://youtu.be/qYpquKXg3x0

This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. Today, we’re spotlighting Yahye, an equity specialist at Mayo High School: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1474698


Do you know the origins of Rochester Public Schools? The first school taught in Rochester was in the summer of 1856 in the log schoolhouse built at 431 Second Avenue Southeast. When the house became too small to accommodate the increasing population, other rooms were obtained. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1474456


Today, we're kicking off Public Schools Week, a celebration of the heart of our communities -- our public schools! At RPS, we prepare our students to be the future workforce by ensuring that our educational experiences and opportunities align with the changing needs of our students, families, and community.
We look forward to sharing some of the stories of those who contribute to the growth and success of our students this week. Stay tuned!


Don't miss your chance to join the conversation! Rochester Public School Board will join the Alliance of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latin Americans (ACHLA) for a listening session today, February 23 from 5-7 p.m. at Riverside Elementary. In addition to the listening session, various community resources will be available. This is a free event, and all are welcome.



February is CTE Month! CTE Month is a public awareness campaign from ACTE, the Association for Career and Technical Education, held each February to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) and the achievements and accomplishments of technical programs and students across the country from K-12 through college and beyond.
Learn more about Rochester Public Schools' Career and Technical Education Center at Heintz (CTECH), our CTE teachers and students, and their experiences today!
https://youtu.be/bq38TffY1RQ


RPS is seeking a qualified candidate for our chief academic officer position.
The Chief Academic Officer provides strategic leadership for and supervision of departments in the school district’s central administration that are responsible for early childhood education, curriculum and instruction, special education, multilingual learning, research and innovation, multi-tiered systems of support in reading and mathematics, and deeper learning in all academic subject areas. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gHvdNgKU

Join the conversation! Rochester Public School Board will join the Alliance of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latin Americans (ACHLA) for a listening session on Friday, February 23 from 5-7 p.m. at Riverside Elementary. In addition to the listening session, various community resources will be available. This is a free event, and all are welcome.

