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School Board holds annual organizational meeting, new co-chairs elected
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board held its first meeting of 2026 on Monday, Jan. 12. The agenda for the first School Board meeting of the year serves as an organizational meeting, where the board selects officers and receives appointments for committee assignments, along with conducting annual business functions.
Continued partnership
Board leadership will continue under a co-chair model for 2026 with Directors Dr. Michelle Langenfeld( District Five) and Linda Hoekman( District One) serving in the cochair role, taking over from board members Kacy Deschene( District
Five) and Zach Arco( District Two), who served in that capacity over the past two years.
Matt Audette( District Four) will serve as treasurer and Jeff Simon( District Six) will continue to serve as clerk.
Be informed, tune in
Regular meetings and work sessions of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board are held at the Sandburg Education Center, 1902 Second Avenue, Anoka. All
Coon Rapids High School educator appointed to National Woods Board of Directors
Coon Rapids High School- Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering( CRHS) career and technical teacher Bobby Miller has been appointed to the National Woods Board( NWB) Board of Directors.
Miller has spent the last 10 years Bobby Miller inspiring the next generation of woodworkers and craftspeople. An EDUcation member of the Woodwork Career Alliance, Miller’ s teaching philosophy emphasizes hands-on experience, allowing students to learn essential skills by creating tangible projects.
“ I am honored to join the National Woods Board and contribute to an organization that shares my passion for the craft,” said Miller.“ I look forward to joining the NWB’ s work in promoting and preserving the art of woodworking.”
The NWB is a non-profit organization tackling the workforce challenge head-on with a groundbreaking initiative to transform woodworking education and connect skilled workers with industry employers. n
Linda Hoekman
LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
Dr. Michelle Langenfeld
meeting schedules are posted and are streamed live at ahschools. us / schoolboard. Community members may also view meetings through local cable television providers on the School District cable television channel. n
CPHS teacher selected for NASA research program
As new information is learned about space using technology and research procedures, Kevin Molohon, a science teacher at Champlin Park High School, is taking a leadership role. His research, conducted alongside a cohort of teachers, is providing astronomy research in a program coordinated through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration( NASA).
Molohon is one of 19 teachers in the nation and the only teacher from Minnesota participating in the NASA / IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program( NITARP). Molohon’ s cohort committed to studying the variability in the brightness of young stars over
two-years and presented findings to peers at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society( AAS).
NITARP has Kevin Molohon partnered with 152 educators from 44 states spanning two decades on authentic research projects. The collaboration allows for educators and their students to participate in real astronomy research and further understanding for students on how science works in the real world, what NASA does and the wealth of astronomy data available to the public.
Molohon and other teachers involved in the program conduct additional professional development with colleagues as part of their involvement in the program, raising knowledge and understanding for science teachers to use with their students. For 20 years, NITARP has partnered with small groups of educators for authentic research projects. The collaboration allows for educators and their students to participate in real astronomy research and expose students to how science works in the real world, what NASA does and the wealth of astronomy data available to the public. n
Bobby Miller instructing students in the Coon Rapids High School woodshop.
Superintendent column cont. from page 1
the next leader of the district, I trust that our community members will partner to offer important voices and perspectives by providing feedback into that process.
I’ m thankful to district staff, families and community members for their partnership in focusing on achieving success in alignment with the district’ s strategic priorities since I have served as superintendent:
• Focus on literacy: District staff have successfully worked to improve literacy at all grade levels, ensuring students have the essential skills needed for lifelong achievement.
• Safe and welcoming environments: By focusing on student engagement and behavior, the district has worked to ensure school is a place where every student feels they belong.
• Strengthening schools with effective organizational support: The district has improved staff recruitment and retention, ensuring students are supported by a talented and dedicated workforce. In addition, I’ m proud of efforts made to engage with key stakeholders in recent years to balance the budget, ensuring financial stability.
This school district has a bright future, with communities who care deeply about their schools, strong partnerships with our families, and staff members who make a difference each day. Anoka-Hennepin Schools is a special place, and the partnership, trust and dedication of our community is one of the district’ s greatest assets.
District facilities cont. from page 1
• The district will open a district enrollment center in July 2026, cancelling a lease at the Coon Rapids Family Mall- a savings of $ 350,000 annually for taxpayers.
• Safety improvements at 50 school sites will include updates to electronic door lock systems, exterior door breach notifications and mobile device applications. In addition, all classroom doors will be replaced at Lincoln Elementary, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year.
• The final phase of a four-summer long classroom remodel will be completed at Dayton Elementary School by adding interior walls to match present-day learning environment needs.
In-house project management: The Anoka-Hennepin Buildings and Grounds Department performs construction management for all district projects. This management system redirects the two to three percent commission normally paid to consultants into $ 1 to $ 2 million in projects annually, increasing and maximizing the district’ s capacity to build, repair, replace, and maintain facilities. n
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