A big shoutout to our BEA tech team, Brandon Ankeny and Stacy Haase!
How many times a day do they answer our call for help when technology decides not to cooperate? And where would we be without the training they provide when we roll out a new platform meant to make our jobs (and learning!) a little easier?
We appreciate all they do throughout the year to keep our staff and students connected, learning, and moving forward.
Thanks for keeping us up and running! 👏


Last week, our 5th graders traveled to Kiester for Farming of Yesteryear, where they experienced what life was like in days gone by!
Students explored a variety of hands-on stations, including:
🪢 Rope making
⛪ Visiting an old church
🏡 Touring an old farmhouse
🏫 Exploring a historic schoolhouse
🔨 Learning about blacksmithing—which was a definite fan favorite!
🍪 And, of course, enjoying some delicious sorghum cookies!
It was a fun-filled day of learning, history, and hands-on experiences that helped bring the past to life!
#BEAProud #FarmingOfYesteryear #HandsOnLearning #FifthGradeFun









👑 It’s Homecoming Week, Bucs! Join us tonight (Monday, September 14) at 8:00 in the PAC for the 2026 Homecoming Coronation as we crown this year’s Homecoming Royalty!
Our apologies - tonight's Coronation will not be livestreamed due to technical difficulties.

Click this link to watch the livestream of this evening's Blue Earth Area School Board meeting at 6:00: https://boxcast.tv/view/school-board-meeting-09142026-a7cdzqsc7bv3ohejkusg

The wait is over! Help us celebrate and congratulate this year's Homecoming Court candidates as they represent Blue Earth Area High School during an exciting week of Buc Pride! 🎓🎉
Check out the lineup below and drop a comment to show your support for our candidates! 👇
King Candidates: Caden Juba, Traven Zierke, Sully Dahlberg, Wyatt Jones, Dylan Preuss, Layden Bassett
Queen Candidates: Samantha Meyers, April Garcia, Sidney Eitzmann, Ayla Warmka, Khloe Zabel, Abbey Lorenz
#beabucpride #BEAHomecoming #BlueEarthArea #HighSchoolHomecoming #HomecomingCourt2026 #BucNation

Community Education Program Coordinator
Blue Earth Area Schools (ISD 2860) is seeking a creative, organized, and community-minded individual to serve as our Community Education Program Coordinator. This role focuses on developing, managing, and promoting year-round enrichment programs, classes, and activities for community members of all ages across our district.
Learn more about this position here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wKvybaPekDOm53hWySmy66fTh0-y9rg3QK1Ilox1EQg/edit?usp=sharing
To apply, please download and complete the Application for Non-Teaching Employment from the Blue Earth Area School District Website. Submit your completed application, resume, and a short letter of interest directly to Community Education Director Shannon Swanson via email at sswanson@beas.blueearth.k12.mn.us or drop it off at the District Office (315 E. 6th Street, Blue Earth, MN).
Application for Non-Teaching Employment: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NQtGER6CxcaDg-qJI1Hjld4sT7kwCjGG/view

Maintenance Specialist
7:00 am - 4: 00 pm
Position Preferences
▪️Grounds, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing knowledge
▪️LP Boilers license, or ability to possess with the first year of employment
▪️Strong work history required
▪️Wage depending on qualifications
▪️Position open until filled
Applications may be picked up in the District Office, or click on this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NQtGER6CxcaDg-qJI1Hjld4sT7kwCjGG/view
Questions can be directed to Jim Wirkus at 507-526-3188 ext. 6501

As we begin a new school year, help us congratulate these familiar faces as they take on new positions and responsibilities throughout Blue Earth Area Schools! We’re excited to see them bring their experience, passion, and dedication to these new roles.
Thank you for continuing to make a difference for our Bucs! 🏴☠️

A new school year is here! We’re excited to see our students back in the halls and ready for a year full of learning, growing, and making memories. Let’s make it a great one!
Start date reminders:
Blue Earth Area High School (Grades 8-12) start Tuesday, September 1.
Blue Earth Area Middle and Elementary Schools (Grades K-7) start Thursday, September 3.
Jumpstart Preschool also starts Thursday, September 3.
Discovery Place Preschool starts Tuesday, September 8.

Looking Ahead: An Exciting New Chapter for BEA
Welcome back, BEA!
There is something special about the beginning of a new school year. The hallways begin to fill, classrooms come to life, and our buildings once again become the busy, energetic places they are meant to be. As we prepare to welcome our staff and students back, I am especially excited about what this year - and the years ahead - have in store for Blue Earth Area Schools.
First, I want to take a moment to say thank you to our communities.
Over the past year, so many of you took the time to learn about the condition of our school facilities, attend meetings, ask questions, have conversations with school leaders and community members, and engage with the information we shared. Most importantly, you exercised your right to make your voice heard at the polls in August.
With the passage of the referendum, we are beginning an incredibly exciting new chapter for our district. Thank you for putting your trust in Blue Earth Area Schools and in the future of our students.
Now the real work begins!
Over the coming months, we will begin the design process for our new PreK–6 building. One of the most exciting parts of this process will be gathering input from our staff, students, families, and community members about what this new school can and should look like. We already started this journey with a great group of staff and community members who toured three newer constructed elementary schools to see the possibilities of what could be for BEA! We want this to be more than a new building - we want it to be a space that reflects who we are as a community and creates incredible learning experiences for our students.
The design phase is expected to take approximately 10–12 months, followed by approximately two years of construction. If everything stays on schedule, we anticipate welcoming our PreK–6 students into their new school in fall 2029.
That may seem like a long way off, but there will be a lot happening between now and then! We are committed to keeping our community informed throughout the process and sharing updates, opportunities for input, and milestones along the way. Be sure to follow Blue Earth Area Schools on social media so you don't miss the updates!
And while we are looking ahead to the future, there is plenty happening right here and now.
A tremendous thank you to our custodial and maintenance teams for the countless hours they have put in over the summer preparing our buildings for another school year. From deep cleaning classrooms and hallways to completing repairs, moving furniture, maintaining grounds, and tackling all of the behind-the-scenes work that often goes unnoticed, their work is essential to getting our schools ready for students and staff. We are incredibly grateful for everything they do to make our schools clean, safe, welcoming, and ready for learning.
As I look around our schools in these final days before students return, I can't help but feel excited. We have so much to look forward to - a new school on the horizon, continued opportunities to grow and improve, and, most importantly, another year of learning, growing, and making a difference in the lives of our students.
Welcome back, BEA! Here's to a fantastic 2026-27 school year and an exciting future for Blue Earth Area Schools. I can't wait to see what we accomplish together!
~Mandy Fletcher
Superintendent, Blue Earth Area Schools

With the recent passage of the referendum, our team is wasting no time getting the design process for a new BEA elementary school underway. A group of BEA administrators, teachers, maintenance staff, school board members, parents, and our partners from ISG—including architects and interior designers—spent the day on Friday touring three modern elementary schools: East Lake Elementary in Apple Valley, Carver Elementary in Chaska, and Le Sueur Elementary.
Seeing these spaces firsthand gave us the opportunity to gather ideas, ask questions, and think about what could work best for our students, staff, and community.
We know our community has a variety of perspectives on this project, and we appreciate everyone who took the time to learn, ask questions, share input, and participate in the process. Now, we’re focused on moving forward thoughtfully and making the most of this opportunity for our students, staff, and community.
There’s a lot of work ahead—and we’re excited to get started!❤️💛



Who else remembers where they were when this song playlist dropped? 🙋♂️
#TBT #ThrowbackThursday #2001 #Y2KNostalgia #2000sKids #SchoolDays
#BUCpride #BEABuccaneers

Hi, I'm Ashlyn Swenning! I'm from Marshall, Minnesota, and currently work as a CNA/TMA at St. Luke's Care Center, where I care for others and make a difference in my residents' lives.
Volleyball has always been a big part of who I am. I continued my athletic career playing college volleyball at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota, where I developed a love for teamwork, leadership, and competition that still carries over into my everyday life.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé Logan and our two dogs Bodey and Blu! We're excited to be getting married in August 2027 and are looking forward to building our future together. As an only child, I value the close relationships I've built with family and friends and appreciate the support system they've given me throughout my life.
Whether I'm caring for others, coaching or playing volleyball, or spending time with the people I love, I strive to bring kindness, dedication, and a positive attitude to everything I do.

Click this link to watch the livestream of this evening's Blue Earth Area School Board meeting at 6:00:
https://boxcast.tv/view/school-board-meeting-8172026-glarpszowckwqk6ojmcw

The 1973-1974 school year hit different. If you didn’t spend your weekends at the local hangout, listening to top 40 radio, or watching The Exorcist in theaters, did you even go to school in the '70s?
What was your go-to outfit back then? Be honest! 😅
#BUCpride #BlueEarth #ThrowbackThursday #1973 #70sVibes #SchoolDays #GoodOldDays



Beginning Orchestra Camp kicked off today, and our newest 5th grade musicians are officially on their way to becoming orchestra pros! They’re getting to know their instruments, learning the basics, and figuring out how to make some beautiful music along the way. (There may have been a few interesting sounds, too! 😉)
Mr. Koenig is leading the way, with BEAHS Orchestra member Caitlyn lending a helping hand and sharing her orchestra expertise. We love seeing our older Bucs helping our newest musicians! 🏴☠️
They’ve got a whole week of learning and practicing ahead, all leading up to a special performance for their families on the final day. We can’t wait to hear what they’ve been working on!




The Ag2School credit is realized when the District sells bonds for facilities projects. There are only certain ways a school district can bond for facility projects, and the primary way is through a voter-approved referendum. The school board has studied and determined that the best path forward is to build a new school. This plan is the most fiscally responsible use of funds. Repairing the existing school systems and infrastructure was not moved forward because of the significant investment needed at the existing building and the result would still be too much of the wrong space to heat, clean, and operate, and school spaces in the wrong places, and accessibility challenges with the amount of elevation changes. This information was also included in the June mailer sent to residents.
So, could a voter-approved renovation access Ag2School funds? Yes. Would the school board move this proposal forward to voters? Highly unlikely, given the study results and research to-date. If the board did move this option forward, would the State of Minnesota give a favorable review and comment for a renovation of the existing Blue Earth Elementary School? Also, highly-unlikely given the same study results and research to-date.
So, we know the best path forward, the most cost-effective solution, that will allow the District to access Ag2School funds is what is being proposed.


