Back to School Guide 2023-2024

We are excited to welcome you back to school on Thursday, Aug. 24. As we get closer to the first day of school, we want to connect you with resources and provide answers to frequently asked questions. 

Join us for the District Showcase on August 10 to get connected and learn more about the upcoming school year.

District Calendar and Important dates: 

Click here for the district calendar with all late start days and no school days. You will also soon receive a 12-month district calendar in the mail. If you do not receive one by mid-August, you can pick one up at your school or the district office. 

  • Thursday, Aug. 10: District Showcase for Families (3 - 6 p.m. at MHS Career Academy)

  • Friday, Aug. 11: Schedules, classroom and teacher information available in Powerschool (4:30 p.m.). 

  • Monday, Aug. 14: MHS Grades 11-12 Orientation (One of five time slots at MHS)

  • Tuesday, Aug. 15: Horizon Orientation Day (1 - 6 p.m. at Horizon Middle School)

  • Wednesday, Aug. 16: MHS Grades 9-10 Orientation (One of five time slots at MHS)

  • Tuesday, Aug. 22: Horizon Back to School Night (5 - 6:30 p.m. at Horizon Middle School)

  • Tuesday, Aug. 22: Elementary Back to School Night (Time TBD by school)

  • Thursday, Aug. 24: First day of school for K-12

  • Monday, Aug. 28:  First day of JumpStart preschool

School Supplies:

A reminder to purchase school supplies. See below for the school supply lists. Make sure you save your receipts! You may be eligible for a tax relief program through the Minnesota Department of Revenue. There are no income limits for the education subtraction program. Learn more here

When are Late Start Days and what are they?

Every late start day is on a Wednesday (Oct. 11, Dec. 6, Feb. 7 and March 6).

These days will function the same as a late start day due to weather. All schools will begin two hours later than their normal start time. These late start days are used for teachers to participate in professional development through professional learning communities (PLC) in their subject areas. Professional development days sometimes cover more general education, PLC relates to their specific areas of teaching. *JumpStart will not follow late start days.*

School Hours:

School arrival and dismissal times for the 2023-24 school year:

  • Grades K-4: 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

  • Horizon Middle School: 9:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

  • Moorhead High School: 8:30a.m. - 3:25 p.m. 

  • Moorhead Alternative Learning Center: 8:30 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Classroom Teachers and Schedules:

Classroom teacher assignments for elementary students and schedules for middle and high school students will be available in PowerSchool on August 11 at 4:30 p.m.

Bus Routes:

Log on to PowerSchool to complete your back-to-school forms and update transportation information, to ensure your child’s transportation is ready for the 2023-24 school year.

🚨 Need to reset your password?

🚌 Bus route information will be available in PowerSchool starting August 16. Read the latest transportation update here.

Health Office

Our team is here to help! Do you have questions? Email healthservices@moorheadschools.org

Does your child need medications at school? Please complete the Medication Request Form. If it is a prescription medication it will also need to be signed by your child’s provider. 

Wondering what vaccines your child needs to start school? All the requirements for school can be found at the MN Department of Health's website. Updates are required for kindergarten, 7th grade and at age 16, pay close attention to those.

Annual check-ups are important at all ages. All students participating in athletics need an updated sports physical every three years. This sports physical form needs to be completed and returned before participating in practice or competition. Sports physicals will be provided for $30 during the District Showcase on Aug. 10.

School Meals:

With Minnesota’s recently passed Free School Meals law, students’ first breakfast and lunch meals each day will be free of charge. For federal government purposes, we still encourage all families to apply for free and reduced lunch via this application form.

You will need:

🍊 The name, school, and grade for your school-age children

🥦 The name of all adults living in the home

🍔 Income information for all adults living in the home

🍓 Student ID Numbers for your school-age children

Breakfast and lunch prices are:

Breakfast Costs:

  • Grades K-12: $0

  • $2.25 for second breakfast

Lunch Costs:

  • Grades K-12: $0

  • $4.95 for second lunch

A la carte milk for breakfast and lunch is $0.50

School Fees:

Some students may have fees for activities, testing, Chromebook protection plan and more. School fees are paid in the portal.

Chromebook Program:

Moorhead Area Public Schools is a one-to-one district, providing access to a Chromebook to each student in grades K-12 to support their learning in school and at home.

The Chromebook will be issued at no cost to the student. There is a $40 Chromebook fee that provides accidental breakage and coverage for students in grades 5-12. The fee is optional for high school students, but required for middle school students in order for your child to take their device home. Students bring their Chromebooks to school fully charged each day, and if they need repairs made to their Chromebooks, they should take their devices to their school’s Media Center repair assessment.