Action of the School Board Action of the School Board 09/28/2018

ACTION SCHOOL BOARD
OF
THE
MEETING RECAP
Tom Heidemann
Board Chair
Tom Heidemann
Marci Anderson
Vice Chair
Marci Anderson
I
ISSUE 41, VOL. 3
Bill Harvey
Treasurer
Bill Harvey
Jeff Simon
Clerk
Jeff Simon
I
09/24/18
William Fields
Director
Nicole Hayes
Nicole Hayes
Director
Anna Dirkswager
Recognitions
Anoka-Hennepin K-12 music program earns national recognition
Jesse Holden, music teacher at Northdale Middle School, and Levi Comstock, music teacher at Champlin Park High
School, along with Mark Bobnick with Schmitt Music, presented Anoka-Hennepin School Board members with the
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation’s 2018 Best Communities for Music Education Award.
The district was honored for its dedication to music education for students in kindergarten through grade 12, one of
135 districts in the nation to earn the honor.
Northdale Middle School family and consumer sciences teacher receives award
Jeff Leach, principal at Northdale Middle School, presented Amanda Herman, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher
at Northdale Middle School, with the 2018 Minnesota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher of the
Year.
Anoka-Hennepin teacher receives award from alma mater
Cory McIntyre, associate superintendent of middle schools and student services, along with Melissa Hayes, director
of special education, presented Val Hanson, special education teacher and psychologist, with the 2018 Outstanding
Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls.
Jackson Middle School Child Nutrition site supervisor earns regional award
Noah Atlas, director of child nutrition, along with Tom Hagerty, principal of Jackson Middle School, presented Gretchen
Schroeder, Jackson Middle School’s kitchen site supervisor with the Midwest Regional Manager of the Year award.
Communications, delegations and petitions
Jefferson Fietek and Mary Cook provided information regarding programming provided by the local chapter of Sandy
Hook Promise. Six residents provided comments regarding attendance boundary proposals including Jason Hamann,
Stacey Kearin, Jessica Haider, Kirsten Erie, Angel Leckner, and Sandy Chapman.
Elementary and secondary education
Attendance boundary recommendations
Following the successful referendum in November 2017, the School Board outlined a process to ensure widespread
community review and comment regarding new attendance boundaries with a focus on elementary schools districtwide,
and middle school classroom space in Coon Rapids and Blaine. The need for classroom space for learning, and the
ability to address class size issues across district schools are key considerations.
The board authorized 36 school/community meetings and reviewed over 2,000 surveys and emails regarding proposals
prior to setting boundaries. School Board policy ensures feedback from the community regarding proposals is
considered in advance of final decisions. Based on this input, alternate proposals were developed and considered.
Following this extensive process, and using a series of planning parameters, decisions on boundaries were set by
high school cluster feeder schools. Attendance boundary areas for high schools are not proposed to change. At the
elementary level, the new attendance areas in the Andover, Anoka, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids clusters follow
proposal two, while elementary boundaries in the Blaine cluster followed proposal one. Middle school boundaries had
four proposals under consideration, with proposal two approved.
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