FOCUS on Anoka-Hennepin - April
Superintendent search: School Board discusses options and timelines at special meeting
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board took a step forward by discussing options for recruitment and placement of the superintendent position for the 2026-27 school year and beyond at a special meeting held March 23. The position became available when Cory McIntyre announced that he would not be seeking a contract extension and would be leaving the district at the end of the school year.
Why it matters: The Superintendent serves as the primary administrator and leader for the school district, connecting School Board direction with staff and community stakeholder input in pursuit of district priorities. Minnesota law requires a school district the size of Anoka-Hennepin to employ a superintendent and the position would be vacant as of July 1, 2026 without school board action.
Go deeper: School Board members engaged in a detailed discussion regarding options for the position and provided a framework to proceed. 📰 View the full story on the district website.
Curriculum review community night set for Apr. 8
📚 Community input into curriculum decisions is an important element of Anoka-Hennepin’s curriculum approval process. Come to a social studies curriculum review community night to review materials and provide feedback.
Social Studies Curriculum Review Community Night
📅 Wednesday, April 8
⏰ 5 to 6:30 p.m.
📍Anoka-Hennepin Educational Services Center, 2727 N. Ferry St., Anoka (Enter at Door 7)
Summer school serves as an opportunity for students who need extra support: Watch your inbox for invitations next week
🔆 Anoka-Hennepin Schools has strategies in place to prioritize increased student achievement for students progressing at all levels. Summer school, also known as Targeted Services, is an ongoing strategy of the district to maintain academic progress made by students the past school year, and is designed to build upon each student’s academic skills, develop better organizational and social/emotional skills. Eligible students meet academic criteria in the 2025-26 school year, which may mean they are below or approaching district grade-level standards. Summer school provides those students with an additional academic opportunity when students are traditionally out of school. Read more about summer school.
Families with eligible students in grades K-7 will receive an email invitation the week of April 6 from the Anoka-Hennepin Schools. If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school.
Appeals window for Nebula program open until Apr. 17
🚀 The appeals window for Nebula, a school-within-a-school program for third through fifth grade gifted and talented students at Eisenhower Elementary School, is now open. If your student did not meet the criteria or resides outside district boundaries, and you wish to provide additional information and data for consideration, you may complete an application online between March 23 and April 17, 2026.
The program: Nebula is a full-time gifted program that provides students with a differentiated curriculum by altering pace, depth, and complexity of academic content. This specialized program is designed to accelerate learning in the areas of mathematics and reading, while also fostering curiosity and exploration. 💻 Visit the district website for more information.
World Language Proficiency Certificate or Bilingual/Multilingual Seal
📚 Anoka-Hennepin students with a mastery of world languages can use that knowledge to earn special recognitions – World Language Proficiency Certificates or Bilingual/Multilingual Seals. The test will be held Thursday, June 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Educational Service Center in Anoka. Online registration is available for testing and will close on May 8.
Students can take the Bilingual Seal Exams in Arabic, ASL, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, and Spanish. 💻 Learn more about Bilingual/Multilingual testing.
Action of the School Board - March 23, 2026
Action of the School Board provides brief summaries of Anoka-Hennepin School Board meetings. View the latest Action of the School Board from March 23, 2026.
For agendas, meetings and minutes visit ahschools.us/schoolboard.
Celebrating academic growth
🌟 The Anoka-Hennepin School Board has a tradition of recognizing the academic, athletic and artistic accomplishments of students.The Anoka-Hennepin School Board developed the Academic Growth Award program to celebrate additional “wins” for students in the areas of math, reading and language acquisition.
📘 The district gathered data using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA), CogAT and ACCESS tests to identify the top five percent of students that made significant growth over the past school year in the areas of math, reading, and language acquisition. Growth was measured by comparing performance on two of the same assessments in any of the three examined areas. These students are awarded certificates at the school level. Read the full story.
📺 Watch the archived live stream of the event March 3.
📸 View photos from the March 3 event at Anoka High School.
📺 Watch the archived live stream of the event March 25.
📸 View photos from the March 25 event at Blaine High School.
AHEF named Nonprofit of the Year by MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce
The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) was awarded with the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year Award at the 2026 Excellence in Business Awards Luncheon on March 26.
Business and community leaders from across the north metro joined to recognize outstanding organizations that make our communities a great place to live, work, learn and do business.
The AHEF is led by executive director Tess DeGeest and Karen Westensee, office manager, and is governed by an 18-member board of directors consisting of community leaders, district staff, parents and student representatives from each of the district’s five traditional high schools.
The AHEF’s mission is to cultivate equitable and innovative experiences for students through partnerships with compassionate people who have generous hearts.
2025-26 winter sports and activities round-up
With the winter sports and activities season wrapping up, here’s a look at who’s heading to state, and how they fared when they performed and played. Also included is information about postseason awards gathered by student-athletes and coaches.
Winter activities concluded last weekend with the state boys basketball tournament. 🐅 🏀 The Blaine High School boys' basketball team made its sixth state tournament appearance in school history and finished the season with a record of 22-8.
💻 Read more in the winter sports and activities round-up.
Spring theater performances and musicals hosted by district schools
🎭 Anoka-Hennepin schools will host a variety of musicals and theater performances in the coming weeks. The community is welcome to show support for students and enjoy quality entertainment presented by theatre programs April - May.
Additional information and tickets are available for purchase through theater websites, visit ahschools.us/2026springtheater for details.
Andover High School presents Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Performances: April 24-26, May 1-3
Anoka High School presents The Sound of Music
Performances May 2, 3 and May 8-9
Blaine High School presents Big Fish
Performances April 30-May 2
Champlin Park High School presents Anything Goes
Performances May 1-3, and May 8-10
Coon Rapids High School presents - Cinderella
Performances April 23-26
Students share their voice and vision for the future with the Minnesota Senate
As the Minnesota Senate considers legislation to improve educational outcomes they can refer to the perspectives of two Anoka-Hennepin high school students for inspiration.
Mabel Gauslin, a senior at Anoka High School and Luna Hernandez, a sophomore at Coon Rapids High School were invited to provide testimony to the Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee along with others from across the state. The students were asked to provide comments regarding what they like about school and that every Minnesota school should have it all in three minutes or less.
District transportation department recognizes school bus safety poster contest winners
🚌 The Anoka-Hennepin transportation department held its 31st annual school bus safety poster contest this winter, which began during Winter School Bus Safety Week. The winners were recognized at the district transportation safety committee meeting on March 18.
🎨 This year’s theme was Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes. The transportation department invited students from all grade levels to submit their best artwork for the competition. Winning posters will now be entered into the state poster contest and displayed in buildings across the district to continue the promotion of school bus safety. 💻 Learn more and view the winning posters.
Alley & Ave to hold extended hours sale on April 8
Anoka-Hennepin’s student-focused Alley & Ave retail boutique located in Historic Downtown Anoka will have extended hours on Wednesday, April 8, until 6 p.m. Everything in the store is 25% off.
The store is located at the Sandburg Education Center at 1902 2nd Ave. in Anoka. Enter from the alley side of the building on Second Avenue. Regular store hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Alley & Ave is open to the public to shop for home decor, gifts, and furniture refurbished by students. The store offers hands-on experience for special education students participating in the district’s work-based learning program, TEAM (Teaching Employability through Assessment and Manufacturing). This program is designed to help high school and transition-aged students develop additional skills before seeking paid employment.
For more information, visit the Alley & Ave Facebook page.
Register now for summer youth camps and activities!
It’s time to get ready for a season filled with excitement and enrichment! 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 - it’s covered! Summer programming is designed to foster personal growth, creativity, and social interaction. View the summer flyer and follow the links to register or go online to browse all classes.
Middle school dancers shine during competition
📸 Dancers from across the district took center stage during the annual middle school dance competition hosted by Anoka-Hennepin Community Education. Families and friends filled the stands at Anoka High School on March 25 to watch the teams take part in some friendly competition. The girls and their coaches had a blast showing off a season of creativity and hard work.
‘A’ Team
🥇 1st place - Roosevelt Middle School
🥈 2nd place - Northdale Middle School
🥉 3rd place - Jackson & Anoka middle schools
‘B’ Team
🥇 1st place - Oak View Middle School
🥈 2nd Place - Northdale Middle School
🥉 3rd Place – Roosevelt Middle School
Elementary school students in grades 3-5 are invited to Bingo. Beats. Bites.
🎶 🎉Anoka-Hennepin Community Education is throwing an epic party! For one night only, elementary school students in grades 3-5 are invited to take over the middle school for ‘Bingo. Beats. Bites.’ There will be a DJ, bingo with prizes, and an open gym. When students aren’t busy winning or dancing, they can jump into a hilarious improv workshop.
✅ Friday, April 10, 6-8 p.m. Anoka Middle School
A slice of pizza, chips, a treat and bottle of water are included with each ticket. Space is limited to
100 students. Learn more and register online.
