The 2018-19 school year once again was an excellent year for Albert Lea Area Schools. Our staff has continuously strived to provide the best opportunities for  Albert Lea students to excel. This week, we will add approximately 200 new graduates to our community  from ceremonies at Albert Lea High School and our Alternative Learning Center.

Albert Lea Area Schools made a name for itself this year nationally,  as we received recognition from two organizations for the quality programming in our district.

In October, we were recognized by the College Board for being named to the Advanced Placement honor roll. This was due to the increase in students who passed the Advanced Placement exam to receive college credit. This is a rigorous test that is given nationally. Our rate of students passing with a score high enough to earn college credit has gone up for three straight years.  The expectations from our teachers are starting to align with the rigor of the exam. This, in turn, better prepares our students for the challenges of collegiate studies. 

This past March, Albert Lea Area Schools was notified that we were one of a handful of school districts in Minnesota to be named a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM foundation. This national award is a reflection on the resources, quality of instruction, musical opportunities in our community and the commitment that our students and their families put towards music education. 

We were also fortunate enough to host the Big Nine Music Festival for the first time since 2008 this spring. The new air conditioning system in the high school gym and the new sound system worked exceptionally well.

E-learning was another success for Albert Lea Area Schools this year.  While many school districts struggled with adding days or minutes of instruction to the calendar to meet state requirements, Albert Lea was postured for success through the utilization of e-learning. We learned much from the many days of e-learning this year. We hope to utilize e-learning and bingo cards in a more effective manner next year. 

Finally, our community members can see the promise of a great future as they drive by the Hammer Complex on a daily basis. We will have the complex open in the fall for soccer and football games. Groundbreaking at Halverson for their new gym and office will occur May 23. 

Quality school districts have supportive communities. Your support has helped make our school district great!