Submitted by Delano Public Schools
Why are Delano Public Schools a district of choice ?
The Delano School District , established in the 1800s , covers a 66-square-mile area that extends to the communities of Corcoran , Independence , Loretto , Maple Plain , Medina , Minnetrista , Montrose and Watertown , parts of Franklin , Rockford and Woodland townships , and the city of Delano .
Delano ’ s schools have regularly been recognized for the quality of their academic programs . The teaching staff is committed to professional growth , as evidenced by the fact that about 71 percent hold a master ’ s or other advanced degree . In addition , a teacher-mentorship program and peer coaching program support new staff members at each school .
The efforts of the faculty are refl ected in the performance of the district ’ s 2,400 students . All three schools have been named to the most recent Best Schools lists compiled by U . S . News and World Report , with each school ranking high in Minnesota .
In addition , Delano was the only school district in
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Delano Public Schools
T E C H N O L O G Y
P D R E O V F E E L S O S P I E O M N E A N L T
Educational Excellence is Our Foremost Goal
Technology
Provide a flexible , digital learning environment that enhances curriculum , instruction , assessment and professional development .
Professional Development
Provide professional development opportunities supporting the district aims in curriculum and technology .
VISION
Systemic growth toward educational excellence for every learner
Strategic Plan 2019-24
Delano Public Schools
C U R R I C U L U M
Curriculum
Provide a well-rounded curriculum that is systemically aligned through all tiers of service .
Facilities
Provide a comprehensive facility plan for the district campus that maximizes the PreK-Adult environment and supports co-curricular opportunities .
F A C I L I T I E S
Official DELANO GUIDE BOOK 2022
Minnesota named to the AP Honor Roll in 2019 for simultaneously increasing the number of students taking AP courses and improving performance in those courses . Only 250 districts across the United States and Canada achieved that feat . It was the fourth time in the past fi ve years that Delano qualifi ed for the honor .
The district has also scored well above the stage average in the annual Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments tests , and Delano High School was among just 31 high schools in Minnesota to receive the 2019 College Success Award from GreatSchools . org .
Recognition has come from various other quarters as well . The website SchoolDigger . com ranked Delano No . 9 out of 441 Minnesota districts analyzed in 2017 and 2018 . In early 2018 , the National Council for Home Safety and Security ranked Delano among the top 3 percent nationwide on its Best School Districts in America list . In 2019 , Niche . com ranked Delano Public Schools No . 18 in Minnesota , and in 2013 , Forbes magazine named Delano No . 1 in the nation on its Best Schools For Your Housing Buck list .
Five-Year Strategic Plan
In 2019 , Delano Public Schools updated its fi ve-year strategic plan , refi ning both its vision and its mission statements in four main areas . The district ’ s vision is : “ Systemic growth toward educational excellence for every learner .” The four areas of focus are technology , professional development , curriculum , and facilities .
Mission statements for each of those four main pillars in the strategic plan are as follows . Technology : Provide a fl exible , digital learning environment that enhances curriculum , instruction , assessment and professional development . Professional development : Provide professional development opportunities supporting the district aims in curriculum and technology . Curriculum : Provide a well-rounded curriculum that is systemically aligned through all tiers of service . Facilities : Provide a comprehensive facility plan for the district campus that maximizes the PreK-Adult environment and supports co-curricular opportunities .
Each of these areas includes specifi c short-term work plans that set goals and provide specifi c action steps to meet those goals . The plan exists to ensure that the district continues adding to its tradition of educational excellence .
Facilities
In the fall of 2015 , Delano Public Schools passed a $ 65 million bond referendum . This allowed the district to address space constraints by redesigning the high school from a 9-12 building into a 7-12 secondary school , building a new intermediate school for grades 4-6 , and making improvements to the elementary school . Additional improvements included a new performing arts center , diving well and turf fi elds at the high school , as well as improvements to the Tiger Activity Center . The Community Education building received accessibility and secu