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LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
Strategic Priorities drive action for improvement
The Anoka-Hennepin School District aligns resources in support of a vision to be a public school system of excellence , with high quality staff , programs and successful graduates . To achieve this vision , the School Board sets strategic priorities and follows a planning process for the successful implementation and measurement of action items .
The Anoka-Hennepin strategic priorities planning model organizes around three objectives , increased student achievement , providing safe and welcoming learning environments , and ensuring effective organizational support for district operations .
Ensuring schools are safe and welcoming learning environments places an emphasis on increasing student engagement and connection while addressing disruptive behaviors .
Anoka-Hennepin is focusing resources on improving student literacy at all grades and is taking action through to align instruction with Minnesota ’ s recently adopted READ Act legislation ( Reading to ensure academic development ). This will include training thousands of teachers this year who will implement proven strategies that lead to improved literacy skills for learners .
Providing a quality workforce through recruiting and retaining employees continues to be the highest action item for ensuring organizational support .
District seeks solutions to reduce and realign budget for 2025-26 school year
A number of factors converged in early 2024 that led to the need to reduce district expenditures by $ 26 million . Anoka-Hennepin acted quickly in the spring to plan a two-phased budget reduction and realignment process .
• Phase 1 : $ 5.1 million in central administration and services were reduced for the 2024-25 budget in an effort to mitigate the impact of additional cuts for the 2025-26 budget .
• Phase 2 : The district is currently determining a solution to address a $ 21 million budget reduction gap . Community meetings were held Sept . 25 - Oct . 9 in combination with a feedback process on two recommendations . A final decision is expected in November .
Factors impacting the district budget
The elimination of federal pandemic relief funds , higher than budgeted employee contract settlements , the impact of inflation on transportation and other operations , limited new revenue from state and federal sources and new requirements without funding support have developed a need to reduce expenditures by $ 26 million by the 2025-26 school year .
Proposed solutions
Anoka-Hennepin Schools have followed School Board direction to provide a reduction plan that cuts away from the classroom , particularly for the district ’ s
Spring 2024
Phase 1 : District administration reduced by $ 5M .
$
21 million
budget reduction gap
Sept . -Oct . 2024
Improving pay and outreach activities to attract and retain instructional and operational positions is at the core of this effort .
More information : ahschools . us / strategicpriorities n
youngest learners . The draft budget solution recommendations impact central services before schools with 53 % of the reductions taking place at the district office / central services area , and 47 % impact at the school level . The School Board is also studying a plan that would make additional central services and administrative cuts but spare reductions in schools allowing community members to decide on that impact through a levy referendum election in the fall of 2025 . Two options have been proposed for School Board consideration :
• Option 1 : $ 21 million total reduction .
• Option 2 : Make additional central services / administrative reductions and authorize an operating referendum election in the fall of 2025 .
Looking ahead
Following robust community feedback for an initial draft plan , draft proposals are expected to be shared at the Oct . 29 School Board meeting and eventually adopted at the Nov . 25 School Board meeting . This timeline is required ahead of key planning decisions on student registration and staffing decisions prior to the 2025-26 school year .
Learn more
Phase 2 : Recommendation by Supt . brought to School Board . Public review and feedback .
Safe and welcoming environments remain a focus area for the district . Coon Rapids High School staff and Coon Rapids Police Chief Bill Steiner and officers greet students on the first day of school .
Visit ahschools . us / budget to find updated progress and plans , and a form to provide feedback on the options under consideration . n
Winter / Spring 2025
Implement changes for the 2025-26 school year ; Programming and staffing decisions .
Superintendent column cont . from page 1
relevance for students as they work to create their own competitive advantage . Ensuring a strong academic core is a priority alongside ensuring students have the professional skills to navigate effective relationships , and technical skills to put their knowledge into action .
Anoka-Hennepin Schools have the people , the programs and the priorities in place to provide for these types of outcomes for students .
The School Board has refined strategic priorities for this school year , focusing on improving academic outcomes for literacy at all grade levels as a foundation for each student , addressing disruptive student behaviors to ensure safe and welcoming schools , and recruiting and retaining high-quality staff .
Community members and school staff members alike have responded to support these priorities . Improving reading proficiency for students begins with preparing teachers with strategies and materials that support that goal . Anoka-Hennepin is a state leader in bringing Bridge2Read training strategies in an instructional approach called “ the science of reading .” In fact , the school calendar has been modified this year to provide additional time for teachers to take the training necessary to ensure all schools are using these proven strategies as soon as possible . In district schools where this system has been piloted , student achievement has made dramatic increases , in some cases there was a double-digit improvement in reading scores in just one year . We are hopeful this emphasis on literacy will develop similar results in schools across the district .
Maintaining safe and welcoming learning environments while developing a systemic way to minimize the impact of disruptive student behavior is at the top of the Schools Board ’ s “ to do ” list . Board members are engaged and motivated to take bold action to address these situations . Look for additional information on possible solutions under consideration as the school year progresses .
In the weeks and months ahead , the School Board will be considering solutions to address a $ 26 million budget gap in advance of the 2025- 26 school year . This situation is not unique to Anoka-Hennepin - as 30 other metro area districts are also scaling back budgets due to the impact of inflation and employee settlement costs , the elimination of federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funding , amongst other budget pressures .
The district has been developing solutions in a two-phased approach and acted quickly this spring to reduce and realign $ 5.1 million in advance of this school year . The School Board will consider options to address the remaining $ 21 million at meetings in October and November of this year . Look for additional information regarding this process on the district website at ahschools . us / budget .
The process for reducing and realigning the budget will no doubt demonstrate the passion and value that community members , staff and students have in the services provided by our schools . We all care about our students and want to do all we can to ensure they move on from school prepared for their next step in life .
Thank you for supporting our students as we work through these challenges together to create and maintain the best quality schools possible . n
June-Sept . 2024
School Board review , set timeline and target for Phase 2 .
Nov . 2024
Phase 2 approval by School Board . First read : Oct . 28 . Approval : Nov . 25 .
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