GFW Schools is an independent public school district in south central Minnesota. Originally formed to serve the communities of Gibbon, Fairfax and Winthrop, the district has expanded over time to encompasses large portions of other surrounding communities, including:
- Lafayette: GFW sponsors the Lafayette Charter School.[1]
- Brownton and Stewart: GFW absorbed much of the former McLeod County West school district.[2]
| GFW Schools | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
Gibbon, Minnesota (district office)
Sibley County, 55335United States | |
| Coordinates | 44°32′4″N 94°31′19″W / 44.53444°N 94.52194°W |
| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Fostering Lifelong Learners in a Caring Environment[citation needed] |
| Grades | PK – 12 |
| Established | 1987 |
| Superintendent | Jeff Horton |
| Schools | Elementary (1), High (1) |
| NCES District ID | 2712580 |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 788 |
| Teachers | 58.56 |
| Staff | 49.23 |
| Student–teacher ratio | 13.46 |
| Athletic conference | Tomahawk (most sports), Gopher Valley AA (football) |
| District mascot | Thunderbirds |
| Colors | Red, black, and gold |
| Other information | |
| District Song | Notre Dame Victory March |
| MDE ID | 2365 |
| MSHSL ID | 520 |
| Website | http://www.gfw.k12.mn.us |
Schools
editThe district consists of two schools (before 2020, one was in each of the original three communities):
- GFW Elementary School (also the district office) - K-5
- GFW High School - 6–12
The middle school in Fairfax, Minnesota was closed following the 2019-2020 school year where the 6-8th grades were brought to Winthrop.
School Board
editThe district's school board consists of six members (two from each of the three communities). The term of office is four years.
Technology Initiatives
editInteractive Cable TV (ICTV) System
editLaunched in 1985, the Sibley County Interactive Cable TV System was a groundbreaking form of distance education using interactive television that drew national media attention. [3] [4]
iPad Initiative
editLaunched in 2010, the iPad Initiative made GFW one of the first schools in the nation to provide all of its high school students with iPads. Because of this, it became known as a pioneer in making the switch from physical textbooks to electronic textbooks, and consequently gained local and national press coverage. [5] [6] [7] [8]
For its trailblazing efforts, GFW was awarded the Apple Distinguished School award by Apple for the 2010-2011 school year. [9]
References
edit- ^ "ProMusica Minnesota announces New Ulm series".
- ^ Minnesota Public Radio (June 8, 2009). "The death of a school district". Minnesota Public Radio News. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ "Just The Fax". The New York Times. November 5, 1989. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ "Fax and TV team up in remote classroom learning program". thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Tanner KentFree Press Staff Writer (April 11, 2010). "GFW students to get iPads". Mankato Free Press. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ "ProMusica Minnesota announces New Ulm series".
- ^ Tanner KentFree Press Staff Writer (September 16, 2010). "At GFW, it's iPads for all". Mankato Free Press. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ "ProMusica Minnesota announces New Ulm series".
- ^ "Winthrop News March 2, 2011 Page 9". stparchive.com. Retrieved May 20, 2016.