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Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour online giving event, is coming up next Thursday, February 12. The day is a large fundraising event that benefits North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota non-profits. Each organization finds a sponsor to generously match donations. Fargo Public Schools Development Foundation and the Trollwood Performing Arts School are both taking part. Tax deductible donations can be scheduled now. You may also wait to give on February 12.

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 16 due to the Presidents' Day holiday. Classes will resume as regularly scheduled on Tuesday, February 17.

February is the heart of the school year, a time when learning deepens, routines are tested, and the weather doesn’t always make showing up easy. Research shows that students who miss just a few days each month, excused or unexcused, can fall significantly behind in academic progress. Over time, this adds up to real consequences for overall achievement and future opportunities. Attendance in February can shape outcomes in May.

Get this week's news and events from across Fargo Public Schools in the current issue of SCHOOLTALK. This week's issue highlights include newsmakers, feature columns, and more.

AD-Ventures is a district publication to help families find activities for their children throughout our community. It is published on the first of each month September-May. 

Congratulations to Discovery Middle School Spanish Teacher Jim Urlacher on being named the 2026 FPS Teacher of the Year!

National School Counseling Week 2026, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, will be celebrated February 2-6 with the theme “School Counselors Amplify Student Success.” This week shines a spotlight on the important role school counselors play in supporting students and strengthening school communities.

Significant changes to federal tax law will take effect under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. These updates include valuable new provisions that may benefit families, workers who earn overtime, and educators beginning with the 2025 tax year (your tax return filed in 2026).

February is Career and Technical Education Month - and across Fargo Public Schools, learners are leveling up. From middle school exploration to high school career pathways, CTE brings learning to life through hands-on experiences that build skills, confidence, and real-world readiness.

Registration for FPS school summer school is open, but will look different this year, due to state mandated transition of the student information system from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus, summer school programming cannot be supported in July 2026; it will only be offered in June. Middle school, Transitions for elementary, middle and summer programming for Grades K-8 multilingual learners will not be offered.

Thinking about staying home? Research shows that students who miss more than 10 days in a school year are 20% less likely to graduate on time. By coming to school each day they aren't sick, students stay on track for graduation.

FPS has launched a new District Scorecard webpage designed to provide our community with a snapshot of how the District is performing in key areas. The Scorecard highlights data points connected to our Strategic Plan, including student learning outcomes, staff data, and progress across our strategic initiatives and will be updated annually.

The WIDA ACCESS is an annual assessment that measures English language development for multilingual learners in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. More than a compliance requirement, ACCESS provides a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate how students are progressing in their academic language skills over time. This year, FPS' ACCESS window is open January 26 to March 6.
 

Candidates interested in running for one of five positions on the Fargo Board of Education may submit an application until Monday, April 6, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.  Applications need to be submitted to the Fargo Public Schools Business Office by the deadline at the District Office, 700 7th Street South in Fargo, located on the first floor.

To maximize both family time and valuable learning time, we encourage families to plan vacations during school breaks. View the Vacation Planning Guide to help plan your vacation.

• Extended School Breaks: January 16-19, March 16-20
• School Out Days: February 16, April 3, May 25

The calendar has turned, the holidays have passed, and January marks a new beginning. However, for students, January isn’t just the start of a new year; it’s also the finish line for the semester and the launch of semester two. Families are encouraged to finish the semester strong and begin semester two with momentum. 
Read more about why attendance in January is so important and what families can do to improve attendance.

Families across the region now have access to CredibleMind, a digital platform that provides a wealth of peer-reviewed and evidence-based mental health resources, including expert-vetted and rated videos, podcases, assessments, apps, books and articles. Anyone can explore topics ranging from stress, anxiety and depression to sleep, resilience, time management, parenting and healthy relationships. All materials can be accessed at any time, from any device, and without the limitations of transportation, cost, location, or stigma.

Fargo Public Schools, with administrative assistance from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Red River Valley, will now oversee an expanded Fargo Youth Initiative. FYI, originally created by the Fargo City Commission, has met regularly since 2013 to discuss opportunities and share input on issues facing young people in the community and provided input to the City Commission and City of Fargo staff.

Residents of the Fargo School District who are 65 or older are eligible for a free Senior Citizen Activity Pass. Passes can be picked up at the Main Reception Desk at the District Office at 700 7th Street South. Please note: These passes are only for residents of the District and are not available for family members who are not residents. Non-residents can purchase tickets to each event or purchase an Adult Yearly Pass for $80 through the GoFan App.

The state is transitioning all school districts from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus over the summer of 2026. Accounts that currently exist to access the PowerSchool Parent application will not be transferred into Infinite Campus. Parents/guardians will be contacted next summer with instructions on how to create their new account in Infinite Campus. The new accounts will be used to complete forms for the 2026-27 school year. Please keep an eye out for that messaging, which the District plans to send out in mid-July.

FPS now offers tickets and passes online with GoFan Digital Ticketing! Learn more about GoFan or use the GoFan Mobile App, and search for your event. 

FPS makes every effort to keep schools open each day. Our first choice will always be to remain open, but at times the weather conditions within the city merit closing. We have two school make-up days built into this year's calendar - Monday, April 6 and Friday, May 1. If weather causes the District to close, those days may turn into school days. If no school closures occur and the make-up days are not used, April 6 and May 1 will be no school days. 
 

In September, the school board approved a deficit budget. That means this school year’s expenses will exceed revenues. While this is not ideal, we have enough in reserves to absorb the deficit. The board is committed to a balanced budget next year. As such, the bulk of Planning Committee’s work this year has been spent discussing our budget. Read more about the planning committee's efforts to balance the budget.

Last month, the FPS Human Capital team gathered reflections from staff members who are also Fargo Public Schools alumni — individuals who once sat in the District's classrooms and now lead them. Their stories are a powerful reminder that education is not just about what we learn, but who we become along the way. Alumni shared how their teachers inspired them to return to FPS as teachers, coaches, counselors, principals, and support staff.