Know Before You Go

School District 197 Free Summer Meals
School District 197 is again offering free summer meals to all district students and area youth at Garlough, Moreland, and Two Rivers. Please note all children must eat on site in the cafeteria. No meals will be served on June 19 or July 4. Show me summer meals details.

Open Door Mobile Lunch Box
Open Door Mobile Lunch Box will deliver meals to eight local apartment complexes. No meals will be delivered June 19 or July 4. Show me more.

For questions or assistance, please contact the School District 197 Child Nutrition Department at 651-403-7320 or kelly.wegener@isd197.org.

You can find our district-wide calendar online here: isd197.org/district/calendar. You can view all district-wide events or filter by school to see specific calendars.

For a quick overview, the academic calendar one-pager for the 2025-26 school year is available in both English (here) and Spanish (here).

Digital Family Handbook
This year, the Family Handbook will be distributed digitally via email in late August instead of being mailed. If you would like a printed copy of the school calendar, which was previously included in the handbook, it will be available for pickup at your school.

Coming Soon: School-Based Health Center at Two Rivers High School
We're excited to announce the launch of a School-Based Health Center (SBHC) at Two Rivers High School next school year, in partnership with Riverland Community Health. SBHCs provide essential services—like treatment for colds, sports and well-teen physicals, vaccinations, and more—right where students are during the school day. The center will initially serve Two Rivers students and aims to remove barriers to care, improving both health and learning outcomes. Stay tuned for more details this fall!

Introducing the New Two Rivers Showcase
Based on feedback from families, we're streamlining our fall events by combining the showcase and ninth-grade registration into one evening. Join us for the 2025 Two Rivers Showcase on Thursday, November 6, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Seventh and eighth-grade students and their families are invited to experience Two Rivers firsthand through student-led building tours, an activity fair, a presentation from the counselors, and a session on advanced coursework options. You'll also have the opportunity to connect with representatives from all departments, including Special Education and English Language Learners. We look forward to seeing you there!

Important Change: Earlier Fifth Grade Preview Nights!
To better support the transition to middle school, our Fifth Grade Preview Nights for fourth-grade families (in the 2025-26 school year) have been moved earlier in the year. Join us to meet teachers, tour the school, learn about the middle school experience and curriculum, and connect with other students and families. Event dates are:

• Heritage E-STEM Magnet School - Thursday, January 22, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
• Friendly Hills Middle School - Thursday, January 22, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Two Rivers Joins Minnesota’s Direct Admissions Program
Two Rivers High School is excited to be part of Minnesota’s Direct Admissions program starting this fall. This initiative, led by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, is designed to remove barriers to college by proactively admitting students to a range of Minnesota colleges and universities based on their academic records and projected graduation. Seniors who are on track to graduate will receive a personalized letter early in the school year, listing the colleges they’ve already been admitted to. While students still need to complete an application for each school they’re interested in, all participating colleges are waiving application fees as part of the program.

A full list of the 50+ participating institutions is available online here. We’ll be sharing more details in August, but we wanted incoming seniors and their families to be aware of this exciting opportunity now. In the meantime, you can find more information here.

While all students will receive free breakfast and lunch under Minnesota’s Free School Meals program, it's still important that all families complete an Application for Educational Benefits each school year. These applications determine how much funding your child’s school receives for educational programs and supports. Eligible families can qualify for other benefits like reduced or waived athletic and activities fees and more. Additionally, outside organizations may provide discounts — see list below. The application will open on July 1 online—please check at that time to apply. Paper applications will be available at your child's school this fall.

The following discounts may be available to you:

• Amazon Prime Discount: 50% off Prime membership
• Children's Museum Discount: $3 admissions tickets (regular $16)
• Science Museum Admissions: $3 museum admissions, $3 Omni Theater admissions
• The Works Museum: $25 family membership (regular $90)
• Guthrie Theater Tickets: $5

If you have other questions or need help, please call the Child Nutrition Department at 651-403-7320 or visit their webpage here.

Get Ready for Fall Sports – Check Your Sports Physicals Now!
If you have a middle or high school student planning to participate in Warrior Summer Strength or fall athletics and activities, now is the time to make sure their sports physical is up to date! Physicals must be dated within the last three years and remain current throughout the season. A printable copy of the physical form is available here. To check your student's sports physical status, contact the Activities Office at 651-403-7206 or email dustin.boll@isd197.org. Need a new physical? Twin Cities Orthopedics is offering free high school sports physicals at 12 locations throughout July and August—learn more here.

Fall Sports Registration Opens July 1

• High School: Registration for fall athletics and activities opens July 1, with most sports beginning August 11. Be sure your student has a valid sports physical before registering. Find a list of fall high school sports here.
• Middle School: Fall middle school athletics registration also opens July 1, and practices will begin after the school year starts. Check the middle school athletics page for updates.

Bus registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open. Like last year, all previously registered students in all grade levels will be rolled forward to the new year and will not have to register again. Only new students to the District or students who have had an address change, daycare change, or have never registered to ride before will need to register.

Please note: Students not yet registered for bus service should complete their registration by August 1, 2025 to ensure they have transportation for the start of the school year. Late registrations may result in bus service beginning in the third week of school or alternative transportation arrangements. Learn more here.

Registration forms are below or click here for online forms.
Download English bus registration form.
Download Spanish bus registration form.

Preschool Families
Contact the Early Learning Center at 651-403-8390 for bus registration.

Each school has some type of welcome-back or orientation event before the school year starts. Please see details for each school listed below.

Free Schools Meals and Kids Program
Every student in grades K-12 in School District 197 receives one complete breakfast meal and one complete lunch meal each school day at no cost. If your student wants seconds, just a milk, or à la carte items, they will need money in their account.

Items that would incur a charge to a student’s account:

• Additional cartons of milk

• Snack items

• Second entrée

• Meals that do not meet the minimum requirements

Visit the Child Nutrition webpage to manage your student’s meal account, view menus, and complete the Application for Educational Benefits on July 1. For questions or assistance, please contact the School District 197 Child Nutrition Department at 651-403-7320 or kelly.wegener@isd197.org.

Mark your calendars with these fun community-wide events:

• Warrior Rally: Friday, September 12 from 4-6pm in the District Office parking lot

• Homecoming: Week of September 29 - October 3. Homecoming parade and game are Friday, October 3, 2025. Parade begins at Garlough at 5pm and ends at Two Rivers; football game is at 6:30pm

• Warrior 5K: Saturday, September 27, 2025

• Makers Market: Saturday, November 8 from 9am-3pm

Warrior Rally: 
Wondering what the Warrior Rally is all about? This fun, family-friendly event takes place every year to bring the entire school community together! The rally features games, bounce houses, food, and a chance for our youngest students to learn about all the great activities and club offerings at Two Rivers High School. 

Warrior 5K: 
Join us for the 16th Annual Warrior 5K! The ISD 197 Educational Foundation is proud to present the 15th annual Warrior 5K Walk/Run and Family Mile on September 27, 2025. This fun, community-based event awards prizes for the top three runners in a variety of age categories and is a primary fundraiser for the Foundation, which provides grants to all of the schools in ISD 197 from early learning to the high school. 

Makers Market:
The Makers Market celebrates local artists and small businesses, providing an opportunity to connect with community members while getting a head start on shopping for unique holiday gifts. In partnership with School District 197 Community Education, City of West St Paul, and City of Mendota Heights. 

Preschool:
Early Learning Center: October 28 and 29
Pilot Knob Preschool Location: Oct 2

Garlough: September 11

Mendota: September 16

Moreland: October 13

Pilot Knob: October 2 

Somerset: September 23

Friendly Hills: October 1

Heritage: September 16

Two Rivers: Start Up Day - August 21 and September 12