Hastings students are reporting a strong sense of safety at the elementary level and improving perceptions of safety among middle and high school students, according to a Student Wellness Report scheduled to be reviewed by the Hastings School Board Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The report summarizes results of student wellness surveys conducted during the spring of 2026 and outlines work completed by the Hastings Public Schools Smart Choices Wellness Committee during the 2025-26 school year. It was prepared by Health Services Supervisor Mary Ellen Fox and Director of Food and Nutrition Services Brittney Hirschauer, with assistance from wellness consultants Annie Ketcher and Shannon Nelson of Health Source Solutions.
Among the most notable findings is an improvement in the percentage of Hastings High School students who say they feel safe at school.
Sixty-nine percent of high school students agreed or strongly agreed that they feel safe at school. The report identifies that as an 11% increase from 2025. At Hastings Middle School, 77% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they feel safe, up from 73% in 2025.
The numbers were even higher among elementary students, with 87% saying they "mostly" or "always" feel safe at school. In addition, 84% of elementary students reported having a trusted adult they could talk to.
The annual report is part of the district's implementation of its Student Wellness Policy. Hastings Public Schools uses guidance from USDA Dietary Guidelines and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans in its wellness efforts.
The district's Smart Choices Wellness Committee focuses on providing students with opportunities to access healthy food and water, participate in physical activity and feel safe in their school environments. The survey data is intended to help district officials plan future efforts to improve student health and well-being.
Physical activity was another area in which students generally reported positive experiences.
Among elementary students, 74% reported playing outside for at least 15 minutes for physical activity in addition to gym class and recess.
At the middle school, 85% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they have opportunities to remain physically active. That was up from 81% in the previous year's survey.
High school students also gave the district relatively high marks for physical activity, with 82% agreeing or strongly agreeing that they have opportunities to stay physically active.
Healthy eating was highlighted in the middle school results as well. Seventy-one percent of middle school students agreed or strongly agreed that they have opportunities to eat healthy, compared with 68% in 2025.
The report presented to the board highlights strengths from the elementary, middle school and high school surveys rather than providing every response from the surveys. Separate survey reports were completed for elementary, middle and high school students as well as parents and staff.
The Smart Choices Wellness Committee met four times during the 2025-26 school year.
Another initiative highlighted in the report was a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership grant for Hastings Middle School aimed at reducing noise levels in the cafeteria.
Students, parents and staff were surveyed about student wellness during the spring, providing the information that will now be used as the committee begins planning for the coming school year.
The committee includes representatives from several areas of the school district as well as Dakota County.
Fox and Hirschauer serve as co-chairs. Other 2025-26 members were Hastings High School representative Sara Stenger; Pinecrest Elementary School Social Worker Michaela Burr; Kennedy Elementary School Social Worker Katie Skramstad; Dakota County Health Promotion Specialist Kassy Podvin; Dakota County School Wellness Consultant Anna Kuczwarskyj; and School Board representative Melissa Millner.
The report also establishes several priorities for the Smart Choices Wellness Committee during the 2026-27 school year.
The district plans to communicate the survey findings to the broader community and conduct additional analysis of the results to develop wellness goals. The committee also plans to continue promoting wellness initiatives throughout Hastings Public Schools.
Students, parents and staff will again be surveyed in spring 2027. A more extensive triennial survey, which includes additional surveys, will be due in 2028.
The Smart Choices Wellness Committee is scheduled to continue meeting four times during the coming school year. Virtual meetings are scheduled for Oct. 21 and Dec. 9, 2026, and Feb. 17 and April 21, 2027. Meetings are scheduled from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and are open to the public.
The survey results give district officials several benchmarks to watch as that work continues. Elementary students reported particularly strong results regarding safety and access to a trusted adult, while the middle school results showed year-to-year gains in healthy eating opportunities, physical activity and safety.
At the high school, the 11% increase in students reporting that they feel safe at school represents one of the largest year-to-year improvements highlighted in the report. Even with that improvement, however, the 69% figure remains below the 77% reported by middle school students and the 87% of elementary students who said they mostly or always feel safe.
The district plans to use those results, along with the complete student, parent and staff surveys, as it develops its wellness goals for the coming year.