Action of the School Board Action of the School Board 02/23/15 | Page 3

of the Northwest Metro Health Student Partnership Accountable Communities for Health
Grant. McGonigal said that while the grant was awarded to Allina, the school district has
the opportunity to partner with them to the extent approved by the board.
There is an interest in building on the existing 19-year partnership between the district
and Allina that provides basic biometric screening for high school students. The new grant
provides the capacity to bring together more community partners including local public
health, behavioral health, social services, long-term care, primary care, schools and other
organizations that contribute to an individual’s health.
Edelstein reviewed the need for the focus on health, pointing out that Anoka County has
higher rates of smoking, alcohol-related deaths and obesity than the state average. In addition, health screenings of district high school students found 18 percent have abnormal
blood pressure, 29 percent have high school pressure, and 28 percent of females and 35
percent of males are overweight or obese.
Current plans call for comprehensive optional screening, linking students to needed resources and providing relevant health promotion and education. Students would be asked
what educational resources would interest them, such as healthy cooking classes. Activities
would be voluntary and occur after school.
In response to questions from the board, McGonigal said students participate in biometric
screening in their health classes. The district does not keep records of the results; they go to
families. Nurses come into the health classroom to explain test results.
Malm thanked the board for the 19-year partnership with Allina. McGonigal pointed out
that the district was able to do the biometric screenings at only two schools until the Allina
Foundation funded the remaining high schools.

Board approves grant resolution

The School Board approved an annual resolution allowing the district to apply to the Minnesota State High School League Foundation for grant funding. Jeff McGonigal, associate
superintendent for high schools, explained that the foundation offers grants to assist school
districts in supporting students with financial need and providing professional development for coaches and advisers, such as the Why We Play workshop the district provided
last year.

Achievement Integration Minnesota budget presented

Staff presented the proposed Achievement Integration Minnesota (AIM) budget and plan
for the coming year. This budget outlines spending for the district’s integration revenue,
which is governed by the Minnesota desegregation rule. Dr. Cyndie Hays, chief academic
officer, said its intent is to enable all students to have opportunities for academic success,
provide parents with school choice and equitable access to resources, close the achievement
gap and more.
Linda Anderson, director of student services, outlined the district’s collaboration with
seven adjoining districts through the NorthWest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) to meet integration requirements. While Anoka-Hennepin is not racially isolated as
defined by state law, it adjoins the racially isolated districts of Brooklyn Center, Fridley and
Osseo. Two schools within Anoka-Hennepin are racially isolated, Monroe and Evergreen
Park elementary schools, because their percentages of students of color exceed the district’s
average by at least 20 percentage points.
Anderson noted that NWSISD is no longer required to have a plan; instead the goals of
member school districts have become the consortium’s goals.

3

ACTION

Hays reviewed the plan’s achievement goals in reading, math and science. Each relates to
closing the achievement gap significantly between white students and students of color and
between students in poverty and those not in poverty by fall 2017.