Duluth Public Schools

January 30, 2025

Duluth Public Schools

Advancing Excellence Through Innovation and Community Engagement

 

Prepping for future success by putting students first

Duluth Public Schools serves over 8,700 students in 15 schools, emphasizing a student-centered approach to ensure graduates are well-prepared for a successful future. “Our slogan is ‘Every Student, Every Day,” shares Superintendent John Magas. “But that has to be more of a lived philosophy than something on the wall. It comes down to the decisions we make each and every day.”

A Holistic Approach

Duluth Public Schools’ strategic plan is anchored in three priorities, which encompass student support, advancing equity, and improving systems. Magas emphasizes the district’s commitment to addressing the whole child, so that every student has access to the resources they need to succeed. “Before I came here, there wasn’t a very strong universal curriculum, nor was there systemic support for intervention when students started falling behind,” he reports. “So, making sure that we had those things in place was the first order of business, along with making sure that the curriculum we offer, and the way we teach, is the best it can be.”

The district has implemented a multi-tiered system of support, making certain that both academic and behavioral challenges are addressed with structured interventions. A focus has been placed on early literacy, and Duluth Public Schools is doubling down on science based reading practices through the implementation of the READ Act and training in the LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) framework.

“It is a little more labor intensive, and it costs more. But we believe that putting your money into early literacy is really the best thing, to lay that firm foundation for kids,” explains Magas.

In addition to academic initiatives, the district has prioritized the overall well-being of students. Thanks to a successful referendum in 2024, Duluth Public Schools secured funding to preserve essential jobs in social-emotional learning and mental health support.

“That’s been really powerful, as well as the reading and math interventions,” he acknowledges. “Those are all different ways that we’ve worked to support our students.”

Empowering Educators

Recognizing the challenges of teaching, the district prioritizes transparency and collaboration. Magas highlights a culture where leaders actively support educators, whether through direct classroom assistance or fostering open communication. “One thing we try to do is make sure that we’re present with people as much as possible,” he recounts. “We’re going through a round of budget reductions right now, and we’re going to each of the sites to discuss what we need to do for budget reduction and to allow everybody to ask questions.”

Duluth Public Schools also exemplifies servant leadership, with leaders stepping in to support staff during challenging times. During the pandemic, staffing shortages created significant strain on school sites. In response, Superintendent Magas and other district leadership rotated through schools, taking on roles such as paraprofessionals and substitute teachers to lessen the burden on staff.

“I always believe in listening to the people that are closest to the work, and our teachers are closest to our students. Teacher voice and teacher input in our decision making is really important,” asserts Magas. As the third most union member dense population in the United States, the district also works to maintain strong union partnerships, ensuring a productive relationship.

 

Curriculum Innovation and Career Readiness

The district has undergone a curriculum overhaul, focusing on preparing students for the demands of a changing world. Along with early literacy, technology has been prioritized, using pandemic funding towards a one to one technology initiative.

“It’s not just putting a device in students’ hands, it’s thinking about how we can use it to engage them, and to make sure that people are using it for collaboration, rather than just sticking students on the device to watch videos,” Magas remarks. “We have to think about how we are using artificial intelligence and other means, to make sure that our students are highly engaged and productive in what they’re doing.”

He notes that in the past two years, the district has overhauled the school schedule at all levels. “So basically, from kindergarten through graduation, all of our programming has been revised, partly with technology in mind, but also with career and technical education in mind as well.”

The focus on career and technical education (CTE) includes partnerships with University of Minnesota Duluth, College of St. Scholastica, and Lake Superior College, as well as the Duluth Chamber of Commerce, local economic development entities and industries.

“As we rework what our career and technical education looks like, we’re trying to make sure that we have our career and industry partners at the table as well as our future employers,” Magas elaborates. “Duluth has a lot of things going on with the medical field, we have aviation partners, we have a really large port. We have to make sure that our future graduates are ready for those opportunities so that they can be able to live as productively and as engaged as possible.”

To this end, Duluth Public Schools are exposing students to high-demand career fields like aviation. Through partnerships with local industry leaders such as Cirrus Aircraft, the district introduces students to innovative and rapidly growing career paths in aircraft manufacturing and aviation technology.

“Students don’t necessarily think about aviation as a potential future career,” Magas relays. “They don’t think about the manufacturing of aircraft as something right off the bat, but Cirrus is one of our largest employers in the area, they’re doing some very innovative things, and they’re growing very rapidly.” The intent is to expose learners to future possibilities, engaging their interests as they begin to prepare for their next steps.

Financial Stewardship

The district’s financial turnaround from a $500,000 fund balance to $16 million is a source of pride. “We worked really hard to put a strong financial plan in place, and that has given us better financial viability. It’s increased our bond rating, and it’s helped in many ways financially for us,” Magas underscores.

Duluth Public Schools is currently navigating the challenges of maintaining technological advancements amidst the drying up of pandemic relief funds and unsuccessful referenda for additional funding. Magas relays, “We’re having to really figure out how we are making the reductions in technology that we need to, but then also reallocating resources from within the organization to align with some of those technology needs, so that we can maintain as much as possible.”

The district  has also taken steps to strengthen its financial stability and optimize the use of its resources, including the sale of properties to bolster the fund reserve and create a financial cushion for strategic investments. The purchase of a building in downtown Duluth is one example. “We have an alternative education program, as well as adult education and several other programs that we have pretty expensive leases for. In the long run, it’s going to save us quite a bit financially to own our own building and not have those leases,” Magas details.

Achievements Beyond the Classroom

When it comes to student engagement, Magas points to the efforts of the district’s dedicated employees. “Our staff works incredibly hard to meet the needs of our students,” he maintains. “Everyday there are hundreds of different opportunities where teachers are going above and beyond, and our students are excelling as well.”  Pointing out the strength of  the arts, music, and athletic programs, which consistently exceed expectations, he adds, “Focusing on the whole child and not just thinking about the core is important for us.”

Engagement is at the core of Duluth Public School’s success, and the district values the support of parents, community and local businesses. “We started a new event this year called Unity in our Community, and it’s a kick off to the school year in August,” Magas describes.

The event draws thousands of people to downtown Duluth to celebrate the start of the school year. Attendees can receive free haircuts, meals, and donated clothing and shoes. “It’s a really fun event that’s become a symbol of the type of school district that we want to be for our students, staff and families,” he says.

 

The Future is Bright

When it comes to lifelong learning, Superintendent Magas reflects, “You have to model learning for others. Our students want to see us as learners, and as we progress, we want to make sure that we’re considering ourselves as a lead learner in the district, so that we’re always modeling that.”

Looking ahead, he says the district will focus on aligning its budget with strategic goals, strengthening early literacy, and integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence into education. As for what drives him, Magas affirms, “When you see success and joy with our students, when you see students learning in the classroom, and you see that engagement, and you see acquisition of knowledge and skills, there’s nothing more rewarding than that.”

AT A GLANCE

Duluth Public Schools

What: A thriving K-12 School District serving 8000 students

Where: Duluth Minnesota

Website: www.isd709.org

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