FOCUS July 1, 2026

July 1, 2026

New leaders with strong records of service within the Anoka-Hennepin School District are in place as the 2026-27 school year formally begins on July 1, 2026.

Greg Cole was selected to serve as superintendent of schools for the next three years by the School Board in May. Cole is a 25-year Anoka-Hennepin employee who has served in leadership roles at the school and district level, most recently serving as the District’s Chief Operations Officer.

He began service in Anoka-Hennepin began as a classroom teacher in 1995 and his record of service includes:

• Classroom teacher at Sandburg Middle School.
• Seventh-grade English teacher at Roosevelt Middle School and Oak View Middle School.
• High school wrestling coach for six years.
• Assistant principal and intern and assistant principal at Northdale Middle School.
• Principal overseeing K-12 behavior and discipline for the district.

Read the full announcement.

Chris Forrest has been named assistant superintendent of elementary schools for the Anoka-Hennepin School District. An experienced Anoka-Hennepin educator with leadership roles and classroom experience across the District, Forrest’s 22 years of service includes:

• Principal of Wilson Elementary in Anoka for the past 11 years.
• Administrative intern at Jefferson Elementary in Blaine.
• Classroom teacher at Andover Elementary for 9 years.
• Student teacher at Oxbow Creek Elementary in Brooklyn Park.

His leadership in Anoka-Hennepin was recognized professionally with his selection as the 2021 Leadership Achievement Award for the North Suburban Division of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association (MESPA). Read the full announcement.

Jeff Thompson has been named chief operations officer for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, effective July 1, 2026. Thompson is an experienced educator and leader with Anoka-Hennepin, including 24 years of service, including:

• Assistant principal and activities director at Coon Rapids High School.
• Assistant principal at Anoka Middle School for the Arts-Washington campus.
• Classroom teacher and coach at Andover High School.

In this role, Thompson will oversee district operations for buildings and grounds, child nutrition, transportation, technology, and safety and security functions. Read the full announcement.

☀️ The Anoka-Hennepin School District is participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Meals are provided to all children 18 and under at no cost.

🍎 Summer meals: Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis at 15 sites across the district. Meal availability and serving times vary from site to site and are subject to change. Learn more about the Summer Food Service Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides additional benefits in the summer for students who qualify for educational benefits. This income-based food support program provides families $120 per eligible school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out for the summer.

Families who are not yet eligible can still apply for the benefits through Aug. 31, 2026. Visit ahschools.us/freereduced to complete an online application.

Eligibility: School-aged children between the ages of 7-18 whose households participate in specific public assistance programs (SNAP, Medicaid) or children who have an approved Application for Educational Benefits to receive free and reduced-price benefits through the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program. Learn more about the SUN Bucks program.

💼 The Anoka-Hennepin School District is excited to host a summer hiring event from 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, at the Educational Service Center (ESC), located at 2727 N Ferry St. in Anoka. The hiring event will take place in the Erling Johnson rooms in the Staff Development Center. Please enter Door 7 at the ESC.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools has employment opportunities for any phase of your work life or experience. Full-time, part-time and substitute positions are available, including flexible weekly schedules with hours ranging from early morning, mid-day, late afternoon, or evening opportunities.

💻 Learn more about the upcoming hiring event.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District Employee Services department recently upgraded to Red Rover Hiring for districtwide hiring and onboarding. This major upgrade replaces the legacy Frontline/Applitrack system with a streamlined, modern experience for job applicants.

Key upgrades:

• Mobile friendly: The Red Rover system is a mobile-friendly application website, users will experience a modern interface when applying for jobs in Anoka-Hennepin.
• Condensed application process: The online application process has been streamlined for each position, making the application process easier and more efficient for applicants.
• Status updates: Applicants will receive real-time notifications regarding the status of their job applications directly within your candidate portal.
• Centralized dashboard: All correspondence, onboarding checklists, and requirements are visible in one place.

What does this mean for applicants?

• Active job postings: If you applied for a job in Anoka-Hennepin prior to July 1, 2026, and that position is still open, you will need to reapply. .
• New job postings: If you apply for a job on July 1 or later, simply follow the steps as prompted on the jobs website.

Red Rover officially launched on July 1, 2026. Learn more about jobs in Anoka-Hennepin at jobs.ahschools.us.

• September 7, 2027 as the first day of the school year;
• December 23, 2027 to January 3, 2028 as winter break;
• and March 27 to 31, 2028 as spring break.
  
  

Action of the School Board provides brief summaries of Anoka-Hennepin School Board meetings. View the latest Action of the School Board from June 22, 2026.

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

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board certifies a population for district residents annually, a number now estimated at 260,284. The number represents a projected 4,639 resident increase in one year according to state demographer projections.

Why it matters: The approved census figure is used to determine tax levies for funding community education programs in the district. It is also an indicator of school and community vitality as a preferred place to live and raise a family.

Go deeper: For comparison, if Anoka-Hennepin communities were one city it would be the third largest in Minnesota and in the top 100 in population in the nation. The district covers approximately 176 square miles and includes all or parts of the cities of Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Dayton, Fridley, Ham Lake, Nowthen and Oak Grove townships.

Steady enrollment: Despite a lower overall resident population than either Minneapolis or St. Paul, Anoka-Hennepin Schools is projected to enroll 37,411 students next year, a number which is nearly the same as 2025-26 enrollment and the highest enrollment for a school district in the State of Minnesota.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools music programs were honored to present 25 student musicians with all-state titles to conclude the 2025-26 school year, following recognition from the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA).

The MMEA All-State Program is the state's premier music opportunity for high school students, providing accomplished young musicians with intensive summer training, masterclasses, and large ensemble performances following a rigorous audition process which began in February 2026. Approximately 600 student musicians across the state are selected for the all-state honor.

Later this summer, students will meet their guest conductor prior to attending rehearsals and sectionals with a focus on developing advanced technique, making music, and developing new friendships and connections with fellow student musicians selected from across the state.

📰 Read the full story and the list of student musicians.
📷 View photos of all-state student musicians.

The spring sports and activities season has officially wrapped-up for the 2025-26 school year. Here's a look at who went to state and how they fared when they performed or played.

⚾️ Anoka-Hennepin was represented by Andover and Champlin Park high schools at this year's state baseball tournament. The Rebels finished as the Class AAAA Runner-up and the Huskies won the consolation championship.

Anoka-Hennepin was represented by Blaine High School's Zackary Simonson and Issac Brown at the MSHSL Clay Target championships. Simonson placed 12th overall in the High Gun - Male Division with a total score of 98. Brown placed 59th with a total score of 94.

Summer academic programs began June 15 at more than a dozen school sites with the district serving approximately 2,500 students designed to support learning.

Enhanced options are available for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, Multilingual Learning (ML) students and students pursuing credit recovery to graduate. Targeted services (TS) are offered to eligible K-8 students and are designed to build academic skills and help students develop better organizational and social/emotional skills.

Summer courses can help high school students who might experience a longer graduation timeline than their peers to stay on pace to graduate in four years. A multilingual program at Anoka-Hennepin Technical High School will host co-taught courses and language support classes; and credit recovery opportunities are offered to students meeting eligibility at both Sandburg Regional and Technical High Schools.

Additional programs offered over the summer months include the school-age child care program, Adventures Plus, hosted at 15 sites this year for over 2,200 students - and programs for community members of all ages through Anoka-Hennepin Community Education. Families seeking additional enrichment opportunities for the remainder of the summer may consider community education. Learn more, browse offerings and register online: ahschools.us/communityeducation.

🏅Anoka-Hennepin’s efforts to inform and engage students, staff and community members have been recognized as some of the nation’s best. The district’s communication and public relations team earned three awards from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), which is a professional organization for public and private school districts and post-secondary institutions from around the country:

• 💻 Website: New district and school websites. Anoka-Hennepin Schools was required to launch new websites before December 31, 2025 due to a content management system update. The update was completed within existing budget parameters. Upon completion, websites now offer a clearer, more connected experience—that supports families today and can evolve over time.
  
  
• 🐅 Branding package: Jefferson Elementary School; view the brand sheet. A school committee was assembled to develop a logo and brand package ready for use beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Graphic design and creative services also included team members from the school district’s Print and Design Services department.
  
  
• 🎓 Video: Celebrating our achievement. The Communication and Public Relations team partnered with student leaders to share a message with all attendees in the arena on graduation day.

Entries are judged by volunteer association members and public relations professionals from around the nation who are experienced, award-winning and accredited. In the 2025-26 school year, Anoka-Hennepin’s communication and public relations team was comprised of four staff members, including Jim Skelly, executive director; Heather Peters, assistant director; Tim Evans, communication specialist; and Jessica Sauro, communications assistant.

☀️ Anoka-Hennepin Community Education offers summer classes and activities for youth, from preschool to grade eight, providing a perfect blend of learning and fun.

Whether your child is passionate about sports, arts, sciences, or simply looking to explore new interests, there’s a camp, class or activity for them.

💻 View the summer flyer and follow links to register or go online to browse all available classes.

• Friday, July 3 - District closed, holiday.
• Monday, July 13 - Regular School Board meeting.
• Thursday, July 30 - District hiring event.

📆 View the district calendar online.

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