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Backpack Online - February 5, 2024
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February 5, 2024
District to begin budget reduction and realignment process this spring
Anoka-Hennepin Schools is facing budget challenges similar to school districts across the state that have created a budget imbalance that must be addressed. Action is being taken now in order to lower the impact on classrooms with a phased, two-year plan to remedy a preliminary $30 million adjustment prior to the 2025-26 school year.
- Phase 1: The budget reduction and realignment process will begin with central office personnel and program reductions effective June 30, 2024, impacting the 2024-25 school year budget. This phase will reduce administrative support by approximately 45 positions - equal to a $4 to $5 million reduction. These adjustments aim to lower the impact of reductions at school sites for the following school year.
- Phase 2: A plan to establish a timeline for the 2025-26 budget reduction and realignment is projected for June, and will involve public input and review of proposals in the fall of 2024. It is expected that a process will be approved in December 2024. This timeline provides opportunities for stakeholder input and adequate time to plan and implement the changes prior to the 2025-26 school year.
Convergence of factors: It isn’t one thing causing this budget situation, but rather a convergence of factors that lead to a process to match the district’s expenditures with the funding reality, including:
limited or stable enrollment growth,
elimination of federal pandemic relief funds,
higher than budgeted employee contract settlements,
inflation and increasing costs for transportation and operations support,
no additional revenue from state or federal sources anticipated,
and new requirements without funding support.
A similar budget reality is impacting numerous school districts in the metro area and across the state. This is not just an issue in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.
Did schools across the state just receive new funding? While it is true that the Minnesota Legislature provided significant new funding for schools in the 2023 session, that legislation also included new requirements, some without funding attached. Some of this funding was used this school year to address student and staffing needs for special education, English Learners and student behavior support.
In addition, the cost of operating schools is increasing due to inflation. The district anticipates significant increases in transportation, facility maintenance, utilities, supplies and materials costs - with no increase in state funding formula support or revenue from the federal government.
Overall goal: The district is pursuing an informed, thoughtful, planned process to reduce and realign the budget over the next two years to provide time and input from stakeholders to ensure the best decisions are being made to maintain the quality of education in our schools.
Five district magnet schools receive national recognition
🏅Five Anoka-Hennepin magnet schools have earned Magnet Schools of America (MSA) national recognition for 2024.
Merit School of Excellence:
- Anoka Middle School for the Arts
Merit School of Distinction honors:
- Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science
- Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts
- Monroe Elementary School - Mathematics, Science and Children’s Engineering
- University Avenue Elementary School - Aerospace, Children’s Engineering and Science
Why it matters: MSA national merit awards are given to magnet schools that demonstrate a commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation, successful desegregation and diversity efforts, and strong parent and community involvement. To be considered for a merit award, member schools must submit an application scored by a panel of educators.
MSA is a nonprofit organization that supports and assists magnet schools nationwide and represents approximately 4,300 magnet and theme-based schools nationwide.
Seven district educators named candidates for Minnesota Teacher of the Year
Candidates for the 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award have been announced and Anoka-Hennepin has seven educators who were nominated:
- Deena Bayer, Social Studies, Blaine High School.
- Lana Johnson, Grade 3, Ramsey Elementary School.
- Stephanie Lunseth, Grade 1, Ramsey Elementary School.
- Maia Miller, Work Experience Coordinator/Teacher, Champlin Park High School.
- Tom Powers, Grade 1, Rum River Elementary School.
- Kristin Rutz, Special Education Teacher (SLD), Brookside Elementary School.
- Jamie Weisz, Special Education Teacher (SLD), Champlin Park High School.
The seven Anoka-Hennepin teachers are among 159 candidates for the award statewide.
This year’s program will name the 60th Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrating the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Eligible candidates include pre-kindergarten through grade 12, Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools.
The 60th Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be announced May 5. Over the coming weeks, a panel of community leaders will name a group of semifinalists and finalists.
“Gymbassador” program at Sand Creek Elementary connecting students
At Sand Creek Elementary School, “Gymbassadors” are third and fourth grade leaders who volunteer their time during the school day to interact and engage with kindergarten through fifth grade students in the Developmental Cognitive Disability (DCD) program.
The big picture: The “Gymbassadors” give up part of their lunch and recess time to participate with the students from the DCD program in two, 30-minute physical education classes a week. The Unified Physical Education class focuses on the physical, intellectual and social growth of all students. During this time they engage in physical activities and sports to help foster important social relationships and inclusion among peers. 📸 View photos from one of the Unified PE classes.
What they’re saying: “I wanted to be a Gymbassador because last year I helped a kid in DCD every day and every time that I did it I felt good,” said Kiera Martin, a third grade student.
A pilot program: A pilot program was created for Unified PE at Sand Creek. If the pilot is successful, it will be expanded next year to other schools that have DCD center based programs.
Dig deeper: Read more about the program and how it got started and watch this video to get an inside look into a class.
Community partners provide free dictionaries to district third graders
📖 Each year, the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) along with community partners Anoka, Coon Rapids and the Blaine/Ham Lake Rotary Clubs, the Ramsey and Dayton Lions Clubs, and Connexus Energy, donate dictionaries to every third grade student in the district.
For more than 20 years, these organizations have provided roughly 2-4,000 dictionaries per school year to students across the district.
The dictionary also includes Braille and American Sign Language alphabets, information about the planets, as well as the longest English word and other fun features for students to discover.
On Jan. 30, members of the Rotary Club of Blaine and Ham Lake visited McKinley Elementary School to distribute dictionaries to third grade students.
📸 View photos from the dictionary give away on Jan. 31 at McKinley.
In the news: AHS wrestler Gigi Bragg featured as #Strib Prep Athlete of the Week
🌪️ Tornadoes coach Todd Springer is frustrated with Gigi Bragg, he says while grinning from ear to ear. It's for selfish reasons. He would like to see her become the school's first girls wrestling state champion. Bragg won't have anything to do with it. She has lofty goals, so she continues to wrestle for Springer's boys program.
"I want to wrestle where I am challenged the most, and right now, the boys do that," said Bragg, who wrestles against girls outside the high school season and is ranked sixth in the nation in the girls 115-pound class by FloWrestling. "It's not about awards for me right now. I have higher goals and need to challenge myself." Subscription may be required to view the article.
Coon Rapids Middle School sixth grade students journey into space
🌎 Sixth grade students at Coon Rapids Middle School (CRMS) took a journey into space on Friday, Jan. 26, thanks to a visit from Orbit Earth Expo and Sparkpoint Innovations. Students learned about the cycles, systems and relationships between the Earth, moon and sun using a large, inflatable Earth model and a scale-sized moon.
🌕 During the experience, the gym space goes dark and a light represents the sun. Students can manipulate the models to experience eclipses, seasonal/lunar cycles, the creation of winds, day/night cycles, ties, rotation vs. resolution, physical characteristics of the earth, moon and sun, gravity, order of the planets, seasons, and more.
Anoka Children's Theater presents "Finding Nemo, Jr."
🎭 For over thirty years, the Anoka Children's Theatre has provided theatrical learning opportunities for Anoka-Hennepin Schools' students through Anoka-Hennepin Community Education, presenting an annual performance each year.
🐠 Join them Feb. 15-18 for a production of "Finding Nemo Jr." at Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA), with a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship and adventure. The show is sure to capture hearts as the cast brings Nemo, Dory, Marlin and Crush to life on stage.
🎫 Get tickets and learn more at ahschools.us/act.
Parent Education Series: Next Parent Engage 360 event set for Thursday, Feb. 29
Join parents and guardians from the Anoka-Hennepin Schools community for information and resources to support the needs of students today.
The big picture: Anoka-Hennepin is hosting three Parent Engage 360 community and parent education events during the 2023-24 school year. These events aim to provide resources for parents and guardians to support their students and others in the community. Topics range from mental health, chemical health, internet safety, and more. Parent Engage 360 forum events are offered both in-person and in virtual formats and are free and open to the public.
Advocating for your child: The second Parent Engage 360 event will feature Beth Lovre, family peer educator with the National Alliance of Mental Illness Minnesota. The event, titled "You’re the Expert: How to successfully advocate for your child," will provide parents/guardians with information and resources on how parents can be an advocate for their child in the doctor’s office, the mental health system and in public education settings.
🗓️ When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m.
📍 Where: Champlin Park High School auditorium
✅ RSVP: Register for this event (registration is not required, but helps with planning).
What’s next: The next topic will be focused on Chemical Health: Tobacco and vaping prevention, and is scheduled to be held Monday, April 1 at the Andover High School auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Leading the event will be speaker Claire Weiss, Youth Programs Coordinator, myHealth for Teens and Young Adults.
🎧 Go deeper: For more resources, tune in to the award-winning Parent Engage 360 Podcast which is available on more of your favorite podcasting platforms. Listen to the podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts. To register and learn more about Parent Engage 360 events, please visit ahschools.us/parentengage360.
Parent Engage 360 Podcast Episode 40
One parent’s story on navigating special education services
Alison Kacer began her journey as an advocate for her son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was four years old. Then, her mindset shifted from finding a fix to finding the right support system for her son.
🤝 That support system now includes Andover Elementary School special education teacher Donna Macoskey. On the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Alison and Donna joined host Liz Burgard to discuss the Kacer family’s experience navigating the district’s special education services and the importance of the relationship between home and school.
📺 In the news: Alison and her son Lucas were featured in KARE-11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening.
🎧 Tune in to the Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360. The podcast is also available on Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts.
Episode highlights:
- 3:12 - Alison shares the story about her son Lucas’ autism diagnosis and his being featured in KARE-11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening.
- 11:30 - Alison shares her family’s experience in learning about her son’s diagnosis and how she went about seeking support.
- 16:33 - Donna discusses support systems that are available in schools across Anoka-Hennepin for families seeking extra support for their children, including special education services.
- 22:04 - Alison and Donna talked about the importance of a team approach to supporting Lucas at home and in school.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.
Curriculum open house set: Two Rivers Transition Program at Franklin
Anoka-Hennepin School District families, students, and staff are invited to review Two Rivers Transition Program at Franklin’s new curriculum options and provide feedback. The district will offer an in-person open house opportunity in February.
🗓️ When: Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
📍Where: Educational Service Center, 2727 N Ferry St., Anoka.
These new curriculum options are in the areas of transitional programming for students who receive special education services ages 18-22. The review committee will present an update to the School Board in Fall 2024, the new curriculum will be piloted for the 2024-25 school year.
Appeals window for the Nebula program now open
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.
🚀 The program: Nebula is a full-time gifted program that provides students with a differentiated curriculum by altering pace, depth, and complexity. This specialized program is designed to accelerate learning in the areas of mathematics and reading, while also fostering curiosity and exploration.
Identification process: Each winter, parents/guardians of Anoka-Hennepin students who meet the Nebula program identification criteria (performing in the top 1-2 percentile across multiple measures in comparison to their peers) are directly contacted to inform them of this programming option for the following school year.
Appeals process: The application window for appeals is open through Friday, Feb. 16 for students who do not currently meet the identification criteria, or live outside the district. Students considered are those who consistently score in the 98-99 percentile across multiple measures in both math and reading.
Additional district news
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This e-newsletter is published by Anoka-Hennepin Schools. It's sent to Anoka-Hennepin families and community members who subscribe on a weekly basis during the school year, excluding breaks (and periodically during the summer). Questions, comments or concerns about the Backpack Online e-newsletter? Contact us.