Appleton Area School District families,

Less than two weeks to go until the big day! Our staff are busy prepping our buildings, classrooms, and themselves for the upcoming school year. Our entire staff is so excited to see our students on Tuesday, September 2!

In this update, you’ll find everything you need to get ready for the 2025–26 school year. We’re sharing important dates like the first day of school and upcoming Meet & Greets, school supply lists, and details on online registration and new required forms in Infinite Campus. You’ll also see updates on AI guidelines for students, committee openings, student meals, transportation, and our policy manuals. 

Plus, we highlight the ribbon-cutting at Sandy Slope Elementary, job opportunities in AASD, the launch of the AASD Arts League, and our work to support student attendance. Additional information includes traffic safety reminders, Valley Transit’s new WisGO system, grading changes at the high school level, immunization requirements, Extended Day learning opportunities, and community events for students.

We encourage families to read through this entire communication to help prepare your student and family for the new school year, so that your first days and week are productive and exciting. 

Important Upcoming Dates (Find our yearly calendar here.)

• Tuesday, September 2, 2025: First day of school for AASD neighborhood schools

Charter schools and Appleton Central programs may follow their own calendars; please refer to your school or program calendar.

Meet and Greet Events

Most school Meet and Greet events are next week. Each school’s date and time information for Meet and Greet events can be found on their school's website calendar and under Our School - Annual Student Registration. We encourage you to attend; it’s a great way to meet school staff and familiarize yourself with the building and drop-off process. 

If your student will be walking to school, we also encourage you to walk to the Meet and Greet to ensure your student knows the best way to get to and from school safely. Check out the City of Appleton’s recommended Safe Routes to School here.

School Supply Lists for 2025-26 School Year

School supply lists are available here. Our goal is to ensure that every student is prepared and ready for a successful year. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to your school. 

Online Registration

Online registration for all families is now open. Registration information can be found on the district website. Prompt registration allows us to properly schedule buses, assign teachers, and provide any other services that might be necessary. Not completing the annual online registration can delay the assigning of the above services.

NEW for the 2025-26 School Year: Signing of Required Documents

Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, we will be using the Infinite Campus Portal to collect signatures (parent/guardian and student) on required documents. These documents include:

• AASD Student Chromebook Handbook (grades K-12)
• Consent for Student Use of Google Services (grades K-12)
• Science and Technology Education Safety Contracts (grades 6-12, for students enrolled in applicable courses)
• High School Co-Curricular Forms (grades 9-12, to be completed by students participating in co-curriculars)

In order to access these forms, you will navigate to the Infinite Campus Portal. Some forms will be available now, and others will be available as needed throughout the school year. You will be notified throughout the school year when new forms are sent to the Portal for completion. Please see the following instructions on how to complete these required forms: video, slides, and written instructions.

K-12 AI Guidelines

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to play a larger role in our lives, and not surprisingly, that includes education. As a district, we have created guidance for families about how AI can be a helpful tool in your student’s education. AI refers to computer systems that can learn and assist with tasks, kind of like a smart assistant for teachers and students. 

Our goal is to use AI thoughtfully to support your students’ growth while maintaining strong teacher-student relationships and ensuring privacy and safety. As AI continues to emerge, we will continue to train our staff in how to keep AI a helpful tool for our students so that our students can learn independently with and without tools. 

Openings on Materials Review Committees

In the event that an adult resident or employee of the Appleton Area School District should object to a Board of Education-adopted educational material and the objection is not satisfactorily addressed at the school level, the objection will be addressed by the AASD Educational Materials Review Committee or the Library Media Materials Review Committee.

These committees are composed of citizens, parents, professional staff members, and high school students. The task of the Committees is to review the material in question and provide written recommendation(s) to the Superintendent regarding its continued use in the District. The AASD is currently seeking:

• one parent/guardian of a student in grades 6–12 to serve on the Educational Materials Review Committee for a 2-year term, and 
• two non-parent community members for the Library Media Materials Review Committee for a 2-year term (must be a resident of the AASD).

Completed applications are due by 4:00 PM on Friday, September 12, 2025. Learn more here.

Student Meals

In June 2025, the AASD re-applied for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which allows us to provide a healthy breakfast and lunch for students enrolled at qualifying schools at no charge. We continue to wait for confirmation from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Once we receive confirmation, we will notify families at qualifying schools.

Pending approval for the 2025-26 school year: Appleton Bilingual School, Badger, Dunlap, Edison, Foster, Franklin, Highlands, Horizons, Jefferson, Johnston, McKinley, Richmond, Kaleidoscope Academy, Madison Middle, Wilson Middle, and West High School. We will continue to apply as more schools qualify, so that even more students can benefit from free meals.

Families are still encouraged to submit free or reduced meal applications each year. While CEP meals do not require an application, other waivers and benefits do.

All elementary schools, along with Classical Charter, Odyssey, Fox River Academy, and Magellan Magnet, will again have free school breakfasts available during the 2025-26 school year through the Universal Free Breakfast program. This will continue to encourage our students to fuel up with breakfast at no cost to our AASD families.

Meal prices for the 2025-26 school year have been updated. Pricing information and instructions on adding funds can be found here.

Free or Reduced Meals

If you think your family may qualify for Free or Reduced meals, or you aren’t sure, we encourage you to fill out the Free and Reduced meal application. Forms can also be completed online through the Parent Portal. When logging into the Portal, the Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Application is available on the center panel under "Meal Benefits.” Only one application is needed per household. 

If you do not fill out a Free and Reduced form for this school year and you qualify, it may impact other benefits that can come along with a completed meal application. Families may apply or reapply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed or experiences financial hardship may become eligible for free and reduced-price meals if the household income drops below the income limit. 

Have questions? Please call the Food Service office at (920) 852-5314. They are happy to help!

Elementary & Middle School Policy Manual

We encourage our elementary and middle school families to review our Elementary & Middle School Family Policy Manual. If you would like a printed copy, please contact your student’s school office. High school handbooks are located on their websites.

Transportation

The AASD will again provide transportation to and from school for qualifying students. If your student qualifies and wishes to accept transportation, please read the AASD’s Student Transportation Services and Policies, complete the transportation services agreement, and return the agreement to your student’s bus driver within the first two weeks after transportation services begin. Find more information here. 

If you have questions about bus eligibility, routes, times, or stop locations, please contact Lamers Bus Lines at (920) 832-8800, extension 2. Routing information will be available closer to the start of the school year through the Parent Portal. When logged into the Parent Portal, please click on the menu on the left side, then click More. Click on the Transportation tab and select the appropriate student on the right side if needed. The screen will refresh when you change students.

Save the Date for Sandy Slope Elementary’s Ribbon-Cutting

Please join us for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Sandy Slope Elementary School, the first new school built in the Appleton Area School District in over 30 years, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at 2625 E. Edgewood Drive. Our district believes in the value of neighborhood elementary schools, and so we are incredibly excited to be adding a school to this neighborhood. 

Join the AASD

Become part of a supportive community that's shaping the future. We're hiring for the 2025-26 school year, and we'd love for you to join us! We have openings on our team for educators, paraprofessionals, and maintenance professionals, and we invite you to join us in building a brighter future for our students. Explore our openings and find your place with us today!

Introducing the AASD Arts League: Inclusive Arts Opportunities for Grades 6-12

We are excited to announce the launch of the Appleton Area School District Arts League, a new after-school program designed to provide inclusive, non-competitive arts experiences for students in grades 6-12 with disabilities. The Arts League offers quality programming in dance, theater, visual arts, and more, supporting creativity and community in a welcoming environment. Learn more here.

AASD Seeks Partnership with City of Appleton to Improve Attendance

Last spring, we shared that the AASD presented at an Appleton Common Council meeting to ask the City to support us in our efforts to get students to attend school more consistently at the high school level. The issue was referred to the City’s Safety & Licensing Committee, which has had ongoing discussions regarding this issue throughout several meetings this summer.  

Last week, the AASD and the City of Appleton invited families and community members to participate in a public listening session, which provided an important opportunity to hear directly from our community. Feedback collected will help guide future decisions and will be shared with the Common Council as this work moves forward. It is expected to return to the committee’s agenda in early fall 2025. 

Missing 50 or more days of school in one year often leads to a lack of learning and growth, class failures, and ultimately, a student not graduating. It is these students for whom we are asking the City’s help through the reinstatement of the truancy ordinance. Appleton is one of the few municipalities in the state, and the only one in northeast Wisconsin, that does not have an ordinance to support student attendance. Find our frequently asked questions here and learn more about how the AASD supports student attendance.

Safe School Traffic Tips

As the new school year begins, it's essential to revisit the importance of patience and safety during school drop-off and pick-up hours. We all share the goal of ensuring our students' well-being, and by following a few simple guidelines, we can contribute to a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone. Learn more.

Free Student Rides via Valley Transit Now Require WisGO

We want to share an important update about student transportation with Valley Transit. Beginning this school year, Valley Transit is transitioning to a new fare collection system. While AASD middle and high school students will continue to ride Valley Transit buses for free, student ID cards will no longer be accepted as fare. To ride for free, students must now use either the WisGO card or the WisGO mobile app. Students will choose one method only—either the card or the app—not both. Learn more about getting started here.

To ensure a smooth transition, there will be a grace period during the first several weeks of school. During this time, students will still be allowed to ride Valley Transit without a card or app, giving everyone a chance to get signed up and ready.

Valley Transit staff will be available at select back-to-school events across AASD to assist with downloading the WisGO app, answer questions about the new fare system, and share general transit information with families. We encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity for extra support and information. 

We appreciate your partnership in supporting safe and efficient student transportation. If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school office or the AASD Transportation Office.

Annual Report to the Community Now Available

The Appleton Area School District’s Annual Report to the Community for the 2024-2025 school year is now available. This Annual Report shares academic and student data, district highlights, and referendum information.

High School Grading Changes

Over the past 10 years, our district has made several changes to how we assign grades in high school. Last year, a group of teachers from our three main high schools worked together to improve how we communicate grades to families. As a result, we now use a grading system that looks more like the familiar 100-point scale most people know.

Grades will be made up of 70% tests and major assignments (called summative work) and 30% practice and homework (called formative work). All tests and major assignments count as summative, while homework and practice activities count as formative. Summative work will be scored using detailed rubrics, and formative work may be scored by rubrics or by points. We will then convert the scores to letter grades using our district’s grading scale.

• Rubric Scores
  • A = 4 points  Mastery
  • B = 3.5 points Competent 
  • C = 3 points Developing
  • D = 2.5 points Beginning 
  • F = 1.5 points  — Insufficient evidence
  • F = 0 points  — No evidence 

• Late Work
  Students must turn in their assessment(s) and any assignments on the due date. Late work will only be accepted until the last day of the unit. Extenuating circumstances should be discussed with the teacher. 
• Reassessments
  If a student wants to improve their grade, they must first complete the original assessment. Before retaking it, students should show they have learned more, as agreed with their teacher. The new score will replace the old one only if it’s higher. Students may reassess up to two weeks after the unit ends.

Immunization Information

Per Wisconsin law, students are required to be fully immunized or have a signed waiver on file. The state of Wisconsin requires school districts with less than a 99% overall compliance rate in the previous school year to exclude all students who are not in compliance with immunization law (Wis. Stat. sec. 252.04(5)(b)3). There are additional immunization requirements for incoming Kindergarten and grade 7 students. If your child has received immunizations from out of state, please provide a hard copy of your student's immunization record to the school office, if you have not already done so. 

If your child has not yet received the appropriate immunizations, please schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider or the City of Appleton Health Department/Outagamie County Health Department before September. Please click here for 2025-26 updated immunization information.

Extended Day Learning Opportunities

The AASD offers high-quality, sustainable out-of-school time learning opportunities and programming for students. These programs are provided through partnerships with the Appleton YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley (BGC). Site coordinators are located at each school to create vital links between the students' school hours and non-school hours. 

When severe weather strikes and our schools are closed, our partners at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley and the YMCA can help! Both programs offer care options for families on these days. From structured activities to nutritious meals, they provide a safe and nurturing environment for students when schools are closed due to severe weather or other unexpected situations. Learn more.

When there isn't school due to Staff Professional Development or during our winter and spring breaks, our partners can help. Boys & Girls Club registration for general no-school days opened on July 21, 2025, with winter and spring break registrations opening later in the school year. YMCA of the Fox Cities registration for these days opens on August 4, 2025. Learn more here.

Community Opportunities for Students

Each month, the AASD shares local community opportunities for students. These community opportunities for students include upcoming events and activities such as art and music camps, youth athletics, cultural events, enriching programs, and more. We encourage our families to review these opportunities for students of all ages. Check out this page at any time for a current list of opportunities. 

Miss a Family Communication? Find them all here.