Red Wing Public Schools
Red Wing School District #256 is a pre-K through grade 12 district located in Red Wing, Minnesota. Red Wing is located in the Mississippi River Valley, fifty miles southeast of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
History
Early days (1835–1915)
- 1835 – Formal teaching began in Red Wing, Minnesota at a mission house.
- 1854 – First school house building was erected at Fourth Street and East Avenue.
- 1864 – Red Wing became Special School District No. 1 of Goodhue Country, governed by a special charter granted by the legislature. This charter was amended in 1891.
South End School, 1854–1891 and 1893–1937, replaced by Hancock School
Central Building, 1865–1917, replaced by Central High School
West End School, 1869–1917, replaced by Jefferson School
East End School, 1869–1937, replaced by Colvill School
- 1866 – Central Building was opened. Central Building offered the first year of high school in Red Wing. Central Building housed the high school from 1866-1917.
- 1872 – Central Building offered a four-year high school course.
- 1886 – Red Wing High School was built adjacent to Central Building.
Expansion and annexation (1916–1968)
- 1916 – Central High School was built, with additions in 1953 and 1961. In addition, Washington Elementary was used for additional high school space, as needed.
- 1916 – The Class of 1923 was the first class to complete all secondary education at Central High.
- 1924-25 – The three grade schools were renamed: Colvill for the Civil war hero; Jefferson the president; and Hancock for Rev. W. Hancock.
- 1931 – Burnside Elementary School was built - additions in 1952, 1958 and 1967. Portable classrooms were added in 1968.
- 1937 – Colvill Elementary School was built, with addition in 1966.
- 1955 – The school board voted to make the school district an independent district allowing them to consolidate with the 12 common school districts of Goodhue County. The new district was known as Red Wing Independent School District No. 1.
- 1957 – By order of the state commissioner of education, the Red Wing School District became Independent School district No. 256.
- 1958 – Common School District No. 551 was added by dissolution and annexation.
- 1960 – The Burnside District was added by consolidation.
Vocational Campus and Twin Bluff Middle School (1969–1991)
- 1969 – The Red Wing Area Vocational Technical Institute was officially designated.
- 1970 – Welch was annexed to the Red Wing School District by action of the Goodhue County Commissioners.
- 1971 – Twin Bluff Junior High was built. A pool addition was added in 1974.
- 1973 – The Red Wing Technical College was built. A second campus for Red Wing Technical College was temporarily located at the former A.P. Anderson home and was known as the Tower View Campus.
- 1977 – In May, the school board approved a plan to establish a comprehensive Energy Education Center and in June, Tower View was designed as the site for the energy center.
- 1978 – The Nature Conservancy deeded 343 acres to the school district for the development of the Red Wing Energy Education Center.
- 1983 – The George A. Bergwall Arena was built adjacent to the Red Wing Technical College, utilizing private contributions. The ice arena was given to the school district.
- 1988 – The Energy Education Center was phased out and the site became known as the Red Wing Technical College and Tower View Opportunity School.
- 1989 – Twin Bluff was changed to a middle school, housing 6th, 7th and 8th grades and the name was changed to Twin Bluff Middle School. The building was updated in 1997.
Red Wing High School and continued growth (1992–present)
- 1992 – The passing of the referendum on December 8 proclaimed that the residents of Red Wing voted to build a new Burnside Elementary School and a new Red Wing High School. It featured the largest bond amount and drew the largest voter turnout in the history of the school district.
- 1993 – Technical colleges were removed from K-12 responsibility and became part of the state college governance system. Red Wing and Winona Technical Colleges were consolidated to form Red Wing/ Winona Technical College. In July 1995, the state technical, community college and state college systems merged.
- 1994 – Colvill Elementary closed for remodeling.
- 1995 – The new Red Wing High School opened in September 1995. This beautiful, state-of-the-art building featured high tech, with functionality. At the opening, the new high school housed approximately 1,200 students in grades 9-12. It is located on 222 acres about two miles south of downtown.
- 1997 – The Central High School and Washington School sites were sold to Goodhue County for the building of the county Justice Center. Washington and most of Central High were demolished in 1997. The 1916 section of Central High was preserved.
- 1998 – The ownership of the Tower View Campus was transferred from the school district to a non-profit corporation known as the Anderson Center.
- 1999 – Hancock School closed in June 1999 and the building was sold to St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
- 2001 – Prairie Island Arena opened adjacent to the high school.
- 2002 – Eighteen school days were missed because of a teacher's strike.
- 2003 – Jefferson Elementary School closed after the remaining elementary schools became grade-level centers. Grades K-2 were consolidated at Sunnyside School and grades 3-5 were consolidated at Burnside School.
- 2008 – On September 9, the Red Wing community approved two referendums, which increased funding by $1,111 per student for five years. These referendums in part, replace funds that had been approved in a 2003 referendum expiring after the 2008-2009 school year.
- 2009 – Through funding sources from the Jones Family Foundation, Red Wing Public School district opened Riverbend Montessori School on Buchanan Street for children ages 3 to 6 in September. After only two years into the pilot project the program closed due to restrictions in funding and space limitations.
- 2010 – In February the School Board approved a plan to move the 8th grade from Twin Bluff Middle School to Red Wing High, and the 5th grade from Burnside Elementary to Twin Bluff. The board also approved a modified-block system for the high school consisting of eight eighty-minute periods, spread over a two-day rotation, as well as eliminating study halls.
Buildings, facilities and district programs
Colvill Family Center
Colvill Family Center is a partnership between the school district and other county agencies. A full range of services are offered in one location for preschool children and their families.Sunnyside Elementary (grades K-2)
Kindergarten through 1st grade students, with some 2nd grade classes, attend classes at Sunnyside Elementary, the primary grade level center. Kindergarten is offered all day, every day.Burnside Elementary (grades 2-4)
Burnside Elementary serves children grades two through four. Beyond a curriculum focusing on basic skills, students are challenged through additional enrichment in Spectrum and Math Masters programs. Cluster programs are available for gifted and talented students.Twin Bluff Middle School (grades 5-7)
Twin Bluff Middle School uses an "instructional team" approach, dividing the student body into smaller groups to help students more easily make the transition from elementary to middle school settings. Several co-curricular activities are offered: Mathcounts, speech, yearbook and the school musical, as well as a variety of sports programs.Red Wing High School (grades 8-12)
Red Wing High School is a comprehensive, liberal arts, public high school located on the edge of town in the beautiful Mississippi River Valley, fifty miles southeast of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The school serves as the high school for Red Wing, Minnesota and surrounding communities.As of the 2010-11 academic year, the school had an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students and 55 classroom teachers, for a student-teacher ratio of roughly 20:1. Approximately 90% of the district graduates continue their education beyond high school.
Red Wing High School is well known for its hockey team, as well as its accomplished band and chorus programs, active student council - including council regional and state-elected representatives - and the school's award winning, nationally recognized FFA chapter. The school offers a wide variety of co-curricular, academic, arts, music and athletic programs designed to challenge the interests and abilities of all students.
Tower View Alternative High School (ALC)
Tower View Alternative Center offers programs for students between the ages of 16 and 21 who are experiencing difficulty in the traditional high school setting or have dropped out of school.Community education
Community education programs serve people of all ages from infants through senior citizens. Community education focuses on connecting the community, schools and businesses. Programs and activities are designed to link the community and educational systems which enhance personal growth and community development.Students
Ethnicity
Students during the 2009-2010 school year:- Total: 2,781
- White: 2,335
- Hispanic: 139
- African American: 111
- Asian/Pacific Islander: 55
- Native American: 141
Grade level
- Early childhood education and pre-kindergarten: N/A
- Elementary : 1,121 | 619 - Burnside, 502 - Sunnyside
- Middle school : 724 | 724 - Twin Bluff
- High school : 936 | 879 - RWHS, 56 - Tower View
- Class of 2010 graduates: 202
- Total enrollment: 2,781