Welcome to the 2025-26 school year!
Welcome to the 2025-26 school year!
We can't wait to begin a new year in Osseo Area Schools! Don't forget to mark your calendars for the first day of school on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Calendars and open house info
Cell phone policy
Recent legislation required school districts to have a cell phone policy. After feedback from staff and families last fall, our district updated 505 Policy: Student Cell Phone and Technology and adopted 505 Procedure: Student Cell Phone and Technology.
This means, starting the 2025-26 school year, no cell phones or electronic device use will be allowed during the academic school day for elementary and middle school students, and limited cell phone or electronic device use will be allowed during passing time and lunch for high school students.
Please take the time to review this policy and procedure with your student(s) to ensure expectations are clear. Thank you in advance for your partnership on this.
Back-to-school forms
All back-to-school forms will be filled out online this year. Forms that are a part of this process include emergency cards, family contact information updates and photo/military denial releases. Complete the necessary steps today by going to the ParentVUE system, which is accessible from the "Families" on the top right of any district or school website. On-screen prompts will then walk you through the back-to-school forms process.
Learn more about how to fill out back-to-school forms at district279.org/forms.
Educational Benefits application
All Minnesota K-12 students attending school in person will have a free breakfast and lunch available to them each academic school day due to the state's recently passed Free School Meals for Kids bill. However, it is still important for families to fill out the Educational Benefits application on EduTrakConnect to take advantage of several other benefits available to families who meet income requirements, including free or discounted costs for the following:
- Field trips
- Clubs, activities and athletics
- Band instruments
- ACT, SAT and AP fees
- Comcast internet for home
- Xcel Energy account assistance for electricity bills
Additionally, the state of Minnesota uses a school district's percentage of qualifying students from applications completed and approved prior to Oct. 1 each year to calculate each district's funding level. School district funding impacts class sizes, number of support staff the district can hire to help scholars and extra programming opportunities.
Please fill out the Educational Benefits application today to make sure your family can take advantage of these and other benefits!
Apply using EduTrack Connect:
- Link to EduTrakConnect is on the website in Family Access menu
- Sign up for account or log in
- Click on fork and knife icon
- Click on blue icon that says “apply for free/reduced benefits.”
To bypass creating an EduTrakConnect account, access the application directly.
FirstView 1.0 bus tracking app and opt in procedure
Existing riders from 2024-25 will only need to declare changes to their needs. If your student currently rides the bus from a stop near your residence or a daycare site and will use that same location for transportation in 2024-25, no action is required, and your student will be routed from that same location. Final bus information will be sent out one week prior to the first day of school.
If your student’s needs are changing, please email BusQuestions@District279.org to request a change form. Forms are student specific; please include each student requiring changes in your email correspondence.
The FirstView bus tracking app can be used to track buses, which uses GPS to track your students' bus arrival.
Learn more at district279.org/departments/transportation.
School supply lists
Elementary schools:
Middle Schools:
High Schools:
High schools do not provide specific supply lists. Schools recommend purchasing writing utensils and paper to write on (either notebooks and folders or binders with looseleaf paper).
Athletics and activities
Learn about opportunities to get involved in high school athletics and activities (be sure to register for athletics/activities on EduTrakConnect!
Apply now to work for Osseo Area Schools
Osseo Area Schools is hiring for various full and part-time positions in both the school year and summer. Check out the Careers homepage to view more information and apply now.
Volunteer at Osseo Area Schools
To get involved in the school community, check out district279.org/community. You'll find information on volunteering, advisory committees and more.
Low cost student accident insurance
Student Assurance offers dental insurance, an in-school only medical option, as well as 24-hour coverage and sports only coverage. This can also be helpful to families who have high insurance deductibles, or just need another source to help cover their student’s medical/dental care. The school district offers this low-cost insurance only as a service to our families; we do not benefit in any way from this company. Families will deal only with Student Assurance when enrolling and if they end up filing a claim. We are not involved in any way other than to pass along this opportunity. Learn more about the student accident insurance in this flyer.
Weather-related cancellations and eLearning Days
Generally, you can expect that school will be held, even in extreme weather conditions. If you believe the weather is too hazardous for your child to attend on a day that school is being held, you may keep your child home. Please call your school’s absence line to report the absence.
eLearning Days are intended to counter the loss of instructional time resulting from schedule changes due to weather. The eLearning Days will provide our district options to meet statutory regulations related to student instructional time besides making up days. Staff and families will be notified that a severe weather day is an eLearning day as least two hours prior to the start of the normal school day utilizing our normal weather cancellation communication protocol.
Crisis response process
Osseo Area Schools has a comprehensive emergency plan developed with the help of local law enforcement, emergency management, and public health officials. Drills are routinely held in all district buildings to prepare students and employees for emergencies. In the rare event of an emergency, the school principal or a district administrator will implement one of the following actions as needed: hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate and shelter. Learn more on the Security & Emergency Management website.
Annual notices
The school district conducts regular inspections and environmental testing to ensure safe schools for students and staff, including:
- Integrated pest management (and pesticides)
- Indoor air quality
- Asbestos
- Lead in water
- Radon
Learn more about our health and safety measures on our website.
Welcome to the 2025-26 school year!