As the 2024-25 school year draws near, faculty and staff in Duluth Public Schools are working hard to promote success for every incoming student.

“We’re so excited about this year’s school year. We have really high expectations for our staff and our students and our families. We have a lot of focus on literacy this year. We have focus on attendance, safety, and inclusion. Those are all things that are important to us this year,” said Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas.

The school year will see some changes including a transition from a junior high model to a middle school model. The middle school model keeps students with set classmates and a set of select teachers all year.

High schools will also change to a seven-period day, which will give students more opportunity to take elective classes and allow them to retake classes if they are struggling.

“We have some great new changes here at the schools. We actually put in place a new elementary schedule last year. And this year we’re putting in place a new middle school and high school schedule. So basically, the k-12 experience will be different here in Duluth than it has been in the past,” said Magas.

With these new changes comes new preparations, and the district has taken them all in stride.

“So, we have a lot of work underway to make sure that we’re well prepared for our students and families. We have new teacher orientation going on right now and we also have a strong training of our paraprofessionals right now. So really, everybody’s working to get ready,” said Magas.

All that work is focused on one thing, bringing success to every student and member of the school district.

“We can’t wait for our students to come in and making sure that we have the final touches ready and that we’re focusing on professional learning. Really making sure that we already have really, really good teachers, but how can we learn even more and be even better? That’s what this is all about,” said Magas.

And as the new school year grows close, faculty and staff grow more excited to see students back in their desks.

“We’re so excited to have each and every student come here, thinking about what it feels like to start a new school year as a student. It’s so exciting. And I remember as a kid myself what that felt like. And so, we are just as excited figuring out what are we going to do to make sure this is an awesome year for every student every day,” said Magas.