FOCUS on Anoka-Hennepin - September

September 3, 2025

Schools across the district have welcomed students back to school Tuesday, Sept. 2 and Wednesday, Sept. 3. 📸 Follow Anoka-Hennepin Schools on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter/X to see more photos and stories from the first week of school, or view the online photo albums.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools staff remain focused on preparing students for life. In the weeks leading up to the new school year, Superintendent Cory McIntyre has connected with teams of staff, encouraging them to embrace their skills and talents to connect with and inspire academic achievement for our students. 💫

Whether it’s coaching youth hockey 🏒 or golfing ⛳ (like McIntyre), or quilting 🪡, skateboarding 🛹, gardening 🌱, exploring musical talents 🎶, or a wide range of many other things that pique interest by the caring staff in Anoka-Hennepin Schools – students SEE what staff care about – and those connections create richer school communities and enhance learning in the classroom.

District staff have a unique lens 🔬 when it comes to connecting with students and inspiring success in school - and the plan is to keep focused on making a difference in our school communities. 📺 Have a great school year and enjoy the 2025-26 back to school video.

Students in the Anoka-Hennepin School District will experience a minor adjustment in the 2025-26 school calendar due to a calendar change approved by the School Board at its August 25, 2025 meeting.

The staff development day originally scheduled for May 8, 2026 has now been moved forward by one week to Friday, May 1, 2026. The move was necessary due to support instruction and advanced placement (AP) testing for high school students.

The date change will be reflected in all future published calendars. For the most current calendar information visit ahschools.us/calendar on the district website.

🚌 Anoka-Hennepin families have access to their students’ bus routes through the Versatrans My Stop bus app. The app monitors school bus routes in real-time, and it’s free to use.

While Anoka-Hennepin buses have an excellent on-time performance record, inclement weather, traffic delays, and driver shortages can impact route schedules. The My Stop bus app provides bus arrival times, anticipated length of any delay, an estimated arrival time, and if a substitute bus is being used on the route.

🛑 Go to ahschools.us/transportation to learn more or download Versatrans My Stop from the Apple or Android app stores.

The back to school season is a busy time for families, school staff and our communities. There is often more traffic congestion in this season and it’s more important than ever for drivers to pay attention before- and after-school to keep families, students and staff safe.

• Crosswalks: Be mindful that we are sharing the road with young walkers and staff helping them across the crosswalks or intersections. Always stop for school patrols and crossing guards.
  
  
• Know drop-off and pick-up procedures: Schools have procedures in place to keep traffic safe. Make sure you know your school’s plan for the safety of all students and staff.
  
  
• Use slow speeds: Use caution in school zones and be aware of your surroundings. We can all work together to ensure the safety of drivers, school buses, walkers and bikers.
  
  
• School bus safety: Familiarize yourself with school bus safety tips on the road. Always stop if yellow or red lights are flashing or if stop arms are extended from a school bus. Allow extra time for students to board and exit the bus and proceed to safe sidewalks to enter school zones or return home.
  
  
• Share the road: Be patient of other vehicles stopped for pedestrians or using caution in school zones. Do not pass other vehicles or school buses. Be alert, young children may take an unpredictable path as they are learning safety rules.

🚌 View traffic tips for the back-to-school season.

📖 View the full article with candidate information, election districts, maps and election judge information.

Action of the School Board provides brief summaries of Anoka-Hennepin School Board meetings. View the latest Action of the School Board from August 25, 2025.

For agendas, meetings and minutes visit ahschools.us/schoolboard.

You may have heard reports of the tragic violence that occurred this morning at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. This event is likely to be a topic of discussion and concern in our schools and community.

In Anoka-Hennepin Schools, the safety of our students, staff, and visitors is our first priority. These tragic events reiterate the importance of familiarizing ourselves with the safety protocols in place for emergency operations.

Anoka-Hennepin has many everyday safety and security protocol measures in place that provide an organized, coordinated, and common-sense approach to working through emergencies we may encounter. Thank you for your professionalism and support of your students, our families and each other during this difficult time.

📖 View the article shared with staff and families last week.

📺 View tips from a local therapist, for how parents can support students after events of school violence.

🏈 Varsity home football games in Anoka-Hennepin are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start for the remainder of the 2025 football season following school board direction.

• This includes home games for Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids.
• Away game start times outside the district are not under the control of Anoka-Hennepin Schools.
• Safety protocols implemented over the past several years will remain in place, including limiting fan attendance to students from participating schools, requiring adult chaperones for younger students, increased security and law enforcement, digital ticketing, instituting a no re-entry policy, and not allowing new or returning fans after halftime.
• Schools in the district retain the ability to reschedule start times due to logistical barriers or by conducting a specific stakeholder engagement process to review and recommend modifications.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools are committed to creating experiences that showcase the talents of student-athletes in an environment that promotes healthy competition.

These guidelines limit entrance to students at participating schools with identification and adult supervision for younger students and increased presence of staff and support personnel, amongst other strategies in place to keep activities safe.

📣 As your family makes a plan to attend school events, review the fan expectations at ahschools.us/safegames.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools has partnered with GoFan for mobile ticketing at athletic events for Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park, and Coon Rapids high schools. Fans can purchase tickets online through their respective school’s GoFan page, the GoFan App or by presenting a card or mobile payment option at the ticket gate. All major credit cards are accepted, as well as Apple Pay.

The GoFan ticketing app provides schools and visitors with a more efficient and professional ticketing experience. Buying tickets online allows fans to easily access and share tickets via email or text without waiting in line. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online before arriving at the facility, but credit card payments will still be accepted on site.

🎟️ Ticket information for each school can be found on the district website.

KSTP-TV visiting Monroe Elementary School last week to learn more about the School Board approved $4.5 million investment in elementary literacy instruction following a multi-year review process that included significant public and teacher participation and feedback.

The action is aligned with Minnesota’s READ Act (Reading to Ensure Academic Development) which aims to have every student reading at or above grade level and to meet the needs of multilingual and special education students in reaching their reading goals. 📺 Watch the story.

Join the Anoka-Hennepin Schools parent education and family engagement team for the first FREE Pre-K to Grade 3 online parenting workshop of the school year!

On September 9, Pre-K to grade 3 parent educators will lead an online session called ‘Developmental Expectations and Accountability’ which is designed to help parents understand what is considered developmentally appropriate for children ages 5 to 8 and how to support a child based on their development. Two online sessions are available starting at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Learn more and register.

If you’re looking for a fun class, enrichment activity or athletic opportunity for your child through grade 8, check out Community Ed! 🍁 ⚽ 🎨 Registration is now open for fall youth classes and activities, aquatics and middle school sports. Classes are offered after-school, in the evening and sometimes on the weekends. It’s a great opportunity to give your student time to learn and make new friends outside the traditional school day. View all classes and register online.

• Monday, Sept. 8 - School Board work session.
• Monday, Sept. 22 - Regular School Board meeting.

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