A SCHOOL ON A HILL

Church Hill is easy to find in Lanesboro. The highest point in town, its two classic church steeples bookend an impressive three-story brick building that used to be the Lanesboro School. Erected in 1917, that building is where local kids went to school until the early 1990s when a new facility at the base of Church Hill replaced it. Today it’s a refurbished condominium, but where that red brick building sits and what it did for so many years still tells a key part of the story of why this town is a great place to live.

The old school—sitting at the town’s focal point—illustrates the priority this community places on education. School matters in Lanesboro. Always has. One of the first things its earliest settlers built was a school. When it burned down, they built a bigger one. When that caught fire two years later, despite the cost of labor and money, they immediately rebuilt it. This is a community that has never turned down a school referendum. Today the Lanesboro School— Independent School District 229—is a K-12 facility (with its own daycare) providing a quality education on a single campus to more than 400 students.

One of the reasons Lanesboro is a great place to live is because it has a great school.

Why is it a great school? There are some practical, “measurable” reasons for that. Small class sizes make a difference. (Current ratios show 1 teacher for every 13 students.) Quality staff and curriculum standards matter. Lanesboro School students consistently score in the top 10% of state standardized tests. Opportunities make a difference—sports, music, drama, and more—round out the educational experience. Great facilities sure help. A major expansion completed just last year—the result of a $8.3-million dollar bonding bill—is making the Lanesboro school experience—being a “Lanesboro Burro”—the best it’s ever been.

All of that and more goes into making the Lanesboro School a great school. There’s another intangible that can’t be overlooked. “The Lanesboro School is a family,” you’ll hear people say. The small town, the small class sizes, the fact that on the same campus you’ll see toddlers and graduating seniors, it all adds up to a familiar, supportive “feel.”

Rick Lamon knows that “feeling” well. Rick served as the Superintendent of Lanesboro Schools for 25 years, from 1980 until his retirement in 2005. (He also taught a class every year. “That was my choice,” he says. ‘I wanted to get to know the kids.”) He says the connection that students and staff feel to each other strengthens the school.

“The Lanesboro School is a small school, family environment,” Rick says. “People know each other. Students participate in whatever activities they choose—sports, band, choir—with no extra fees. There’s a strong Board here, too. I worked with remarkable members during my time here; almost 80% of them were Lanesboro grads themselves. Yes, Lanesboro is definitely a great school.”

Another obvious sign of that is current “open enrollment” numbers. Students from nearby towns who are choosing to come to Lanesboro are nearly 35% of the student body.

In 1987 Rick, that board, and the Lanesboro school staff created the very first on-site daycare facility at a Minnesota school. What that means, in the words of current superintendent Matt Schultz, is that “…a child can literally start their Lanesboro Public School journey as an infant in our daycare and walk across the stage as an LPS graduate steps away from that daycare center 18 years later.”

Lanesboro is a great place to live for many reasons. Having a great school—a quality place for young people to learn in a caring environment, opportunities for them to grow through extracurricular activities, employment for teachers and staff, the community spirit it builds—all comes together here. You hear people talk about “Burro Pride” in Lanesboro. Even more important, you know people feel it.

For more information about Lanesboro Public Schools, visit their website (Lanesboro.K12.mn.us) and/or their Facebook page, or call Superintendent Matt Schultz at (507) 467-2229. 2022-23 EDITION | LANESBORO.COM | 35

COMMUNITY AND LOCAL SERVICES / WORSHIP COMMUNITY

AMERICAN LEGION POST #40

103 Elmwood St E | (507) 467-3440 lanesboroamericanlegion.org America's largest wartime veterans service organization. Open daily, except Sundays in winter. Everyone welcome. Rental facilities available; do not need to be a member to rent.

CITY OF LANESBORO

202 Parkway Ave S | (507) 467-3722 lanesboro-mn.gov Contact our office for all your camping, building rental or utility questions. We can also assist with Planning and Zoning or City Regulation questions.

CITY OF LANESBORO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

202 Parkway Ave S | (507) 467-3722 www.lanesboro-mn.gov/economicdevelopment-authority Contact the EDA for assistance in starting up or expanding a business

CITY OF WHALAN

224 2nd Ave, Whalan | (507) 467-2212 cityofwhalan.weebly.com Alongside the Root River Trail System and the beautiful Root River, Whalan offers a wealth of cultural, year-round recreational and sporting opportunities.

EAGLE BLUFF NATURE PRESCHOOL

28097 Goodview Dr | (507) 467-2437 eaglebluffmn.org/preschool The Eagle Bluff Nature Preschool kindergarten readiness program for children ages 3-5 uses environmental education to support the development of the whole child. AD P. 15

LANESBORO AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & VISITOR CENTER

100 Milwaukee Rd | (507) 467-2696 lanesboro.com Your information source for the Lanesboro area. Located downtown on the Root River State Trail. Find a place to stay, menus, maps and event announcements. Free Guest WiFi.

LANESBORO AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

PO Box 370, Lanesboro | (507) 696-1884 smifoundation.org/lanesboro Nonprofit 501c(3) that serves the Lanesboro Area by strengthening today and building a better tomorrow. Mission: To be a good neighbor by investing in the vitality of the people and community.

LANESBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY

202 Parkway Ave S | (507) 467-2649 lanesboro.lib.mn.us Excellent full-service library open Mon-Sat. Comfy chairs and WiFi. Ongoing book sale. Summer programming. Visitors welcome.

LANESBORO PUBLIC SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE CENTER

100 Kirkwood St E | (507) 467-2229 lanesboro.k12.mn.us LPS offers an excellent core-course education, affordable in-house daycare and preschool, a strong community connection and a caring and safe environment.

LIFE STYLE INC.

(507) 467-2222 | (507) 451-8524 | tdd (507) 451-0704 Spacious smoke-free rentals for seniors (62+) or people with disability. Pets allowed with deposit. Equal Housing Opportunity.

KENILWORTH APARTMENTS

607 Kenilworth Ave S lifestyleinc.net/kenilworth.asp

SYLVAN MANOR APARTMENTS

503 Parkway Ave S lifestyleinc.net/sylvan.asp

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

ACTION FITNESS

102 Coffee St. E | (507) 272-0549 actionfitnesslanesboro.com Action Fitness is the complete 24 hour workout center. Whether you are looking for free weights, exercise machines, or classes! We have it all!

LIVESTOCK AND AGRICULTURE

FILLMORE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

Fillmore County Fair Grounds Fillmore St E, Preston | (507) 273-1481 fillmorecountyfair.com Host of Fillmore County Fair since 1865. This multi-generational event is a reflection of the values, culture, history, heritage and dreams of all that call Fillmore County their home.

LANESBORO SALES COMMISSION

402 Coffee St E | (507) 467-2192 lanesborosalescommission.com Family-owned and operated business specializing in providing a fair, competitive market for livestock buyers and producers. We look forward to serving your livestock needs.

RLH GRAIN

18 Beacon St E | (507) 467-2300 Grain handling, storage and tracking.

WORSHIP

BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH

200 Kenilworth Ave S | (507) 467-3344 staronthehill.com Bethlehem Lutheran Church located on the hill overlooking Lanesboro is a congregation of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Everyone is welcome!

ELSTAD LUTHERAN CHURCH

37784 Dogwood Rd | (507) 765-3621 elstadlutheranchurch.org A welcoming small church in rural Lanesboro, surrounded by the fields and hills of southeastern Minnesota. Worship schedule is seasonal. Check website or Facebook for schedule.

WHALAN LUTHERAN CHURCH

903 Oak St, Whalan | (507) 467-2159 Whalan Lutheran Church is serving the community and engaging and encouraging others through a life-changing journey. Alternating start times each month.