Backpack Online - July 8, 2024
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board approved the 2024-25 district budget at its regular meeting on Monday, June 24 with a 4-2 vote with Directors Matt Audette and Linda Hoekmkan voting no.
The School Board is committed to a shared leadership model with co-chairs Zach Arco and Kacy Deschene coordinating operations and ensuring all members have their voices heard as part of the decision making process.
Why it matters: Budget approval means the district maintains operations, construction activity and all actions necessary to prepare for the 2024-25 school year.
The basics: Information shared at public meetings and on social media in April indicated that three members of the six member Anoka-Hennepin School Board would not vote to approve the district budget for next year as required by state law citing a series of concerns.
- At an April 23 meeting, board members separated the issues from the budget approval process, a decision that included discussion of all items at future meetings.
- The process to conduct that review is underway with meetings on June 10, June 11 and upcoming sessions planned for July 15 and August 12.
Timeline: Approval of the budget follows an annual process that concludes with consideration of approval.
- The budget process for the 2024-25 school year formally began in November 2023, which takes into account the certified pay 2024 levy, the legislative policy session, and enrollment projections made at the start of the calendar year.
- From February to April, district staff reviewed staffing; and developed department and site budgets prior to the School Board’s preliminary review of the budget for fiscal year 2025 on April 22, 2024.
- The School Board previewed a draft preliminary budget at their May 20, 2024 meeting without comment prior to consideration of approval at the June 24 meeting.
Go deeper: The largest of the six funds that comprise the 2024-25 budget is the $662,382,639 General Fund, along with five other funds including food service, community service, capital projects, debt service and the trust fund for a total of $742,559,453 million in total expenditures.
- Health of the fund balance: With the approval, the district fund balance is programmed to drop to 7.7%, which is below the school board policy of 10% of general fund expenditures.
- Reductions and realignment: The budget also incorporates Phase 1 budget reductions, reducing 40 central office and administrative positions and operations funds equalling a total of $5.1 million. The School Board will consider $21 million in Phase 2 reductions and realignment for the 2025-26 school year. Draft reduction options will be presented in September and will provide opportunity for public and staff feedback prior to consideration of approval in November.
Be informed: The Anoka-Hennepin School District website and Backpack Online e-newsletter for families and community members is considered the official source of accurate information View the June 24 School Board Budget presentation, discussion and vote.
🌎 Anoka-Hennepin sent seven teams to the Destination Imagination Global Finals in Kansas City, Mo. May 22-25 to compete against teams from all over the world.
Teams at each level represented the very best in the world, sharing their best solutions to this year’s challenges in Engineering, Science, Fine Arts, Improvisation and Community Service.
🏆Congratulations to the following teams on a successful Destination Imagination season.
Families are required to update emergency contact information and review school policies each year
Make a plan to complete your student’s back-to-school verification, now. Families may complete the verification online by logging into A-HConnect.
Why it matters: Verification ensures that each student’s school has confirmed emergency contact information and releases for the safety of each student.
Deadlines: It’s important that each family completes the verification process before the first day of school. Verification is easy to do online, on your own time, whenever it’s convenient.
- Even if families’ contact information has not changed, it’s important to log in to access a variety of other student information in the coming weeks, including class schedules and teacher assignments, attendance, school handbooks, progress reports and grades for middle and high school students.
- High school students will not be able to enroll in fall activities until the back to school verification process is complete.
Login details: Visit A-HConnect to complete your student’s back-to-school forms for the upcoming school year.
- Parents/guardians can access back-to-school forms by clicking the lock icon and “Login” at the top right corner of any district or school website.
- Then, select, "My Student Information."
- Next, choose “Online registration.”
- Select “Back-to-school annual verification.”
- View the tip sheet for directions.
If you need help finding your login/password, email 506help@ahschools.us or call 763-506-HELP for assistance.
Middle and high school families: Back-to-school verification also includes the option to enroll in an optional protection plan for district-issued Chromebooks, which are assigned to students in grades 6-12 to ensure access to technology systems that support classroom learning. Visit ahschools.us/techprotect to learn more.
The Anoka-Hennepin School District will host a summer hiring event from 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, July 25 at the Educational Service Center (ESC), located at 2727 N Ferry St. in Anoka. The hiring event will take place in the Erling Johnson rooms. Please enter Door 7 at the ESC.
Anoka-Hennepin Schools has employment opportunities for any phase of your work life or experience. Full-time, part-time and substitute positions are available, including flexible weekly schedules with hours ranging from early morning, mid-day, late afternoon, or evening opportunities for the employee groups listed below.
Representatives from the following work groups will be present:
- Child nutrition (food service).
- Buildings and grounds (custodial).
- Special Education (para).
- Teachers Assistants (elementary para - recess and lunchroom, secondary para, ESL para and others).
- Transportation (crossing guards and bus helpers) *Bus companies utilized by Anoka-Hennepin will be present.
- Community Education (assistants, instructors, coaches, water safety instructors, lifeguards).
- Adventures Plus (before and after school child care).
- Early Learning (Preschool and ECFE assistants).
- Technology (tech para, tech assistant, tech support).
- Substitutes for various operational and teacher positions (any bachelor's degree qualifies for a substitute license).
- Employee Services (answering general questions and information about all other positions).
Anoka-Hennepin Schools is a great place to live, work, learn and play. Join us on Thursday, July 25 to learn more about employment opportunities and determine what role(s) would be the best fit for your interests, skills and schedule.
Everyone plays a role in student achievement; help your community succeed by applying today!
Visit ahschools.us/jobs or call 763-506-JOBS for more information.
A review of middle school programming in Anoka-Hennepin Schools will result in additional refinement and development of timelines for future consideration following a presentation at the June 10 School Board work session.
The overall goal: The middle school program review process aims to achieve these desired outcomes:
- Improve student achievement
- Improve student behavior
- Reduce costs while maintaining high-quality exploratory programming
The basics: The review included each component of the middle school program including advanced courses, intervention courses, literacy instruction, high school credit course work in math and world languages and exploratory elective options.
Options were explored to compare a 7 or 6 period day as one strategy to maintain programming while reducing expenditures by $3.84 million amid a $21 million pending budget reduction for the 2025-26 school year. Review presentation slides, Agenda item 4.B, Attachment F.
The program review for the middle school level was last undertaken when the district shifted from a semester-model to a trimester-model at the middle school level in 2009.
Feedback: The district is committed to continuous improvement which includes review and comment on proposals from community and staff stakeholders. This process included a series of three community meetings attended by 75 residents, 425 views of the overview presentation online and 281 completed surveys to provide feedback. Review a summary report that includes feedback and analysis.
Timeline: As recommendations are refined, Anoka-Hennepin will share updates with the School Board and community prior to making a decision. School Board direction regarding the program and schedule is expected as part of the Phase 2 budget reduction and reallocation process in fall 2024.
🤝 Volunteers in the Anoka-Hennepin School District have once again proven their invaluable dedication and commitment to the community, as highlighted in a recent year-end report. Throughout the academic year, 9,276 individuals generously contributed their time and talents, collectively amassing an impressive total of 172,969 volunteer hours. This substantial effort spans across 37 volunteer sites within the district, each contributing significantly to the educational and extracurricular enrichment of students.
The impact of these volunteer hours extends far beyond mere numbers, as they carry a symbolic value of approximately $5,792,732. This valuation, calculated using the per hour dollar value established by the Independent Sector’s "Giving and Volunteering in the United States," underscores the immense economic benefit derived from the selfless contributions of Anoka-Hennepin’s volunteers.
This past year has seen a notable increase of approximately 32,000 volunteer hours compared to the previous year, reflecting a growing spirit of community engagement and support within the district.
Volunteers in Anoka-Hennepin Schools dedicate their time in various capacities, from classroom assistance to mentorship, event coordination, chaperoning and beyond. The impact of volunteers goes beyond immediate benefits, fostering connections between schools, families, and the community. Volunteer programs are coordinated by Anoka-Hennepin Community Education.
The Anoka-Hennepin School District will participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) once again this summer. Meals will be provided to all children 18 and under at no cost.
🥕 The details: Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, at 16 sites across the district. The program will start Thursday, June 13 at most sites. Meal availability and serving times vary from site to site and are subject to change. Review a list of sites and meal times for more information.
Meals will be served inside school buildings. Parents accompanying their children may purchase a meal. Adult breakfast is $3.00 and lunch is $5.25. Exact change is required, and no checks will be taken.
🍎 More about the program: The SFSP was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that children could continue to receive nutritious meals during summer break, when they may not have access to school breakfast or lunch.
For more information, please contact Anoka-Hennepin child nutrition at 763-506-1240 or staff.CnpEnrollment@ahschools.us.
Technology plays an important role in preparing students for life, and Chromebooks are utilized as a daily learning tool in Anoka-Hennepin middle and high school classrooms. Anoka-Hennepin students in grades 6-12 are assigned a Chromebook from the school district to ensure access to technology systems that support classroom learning.
Over 28,000 Chromebooks are distributed to students the first week of school. As careful as students and schools are, accidents do happen each year - and thousands of Chromebooks are returned at the end of the school year with damages.
Plan ahead: Families have the option to enroll in the Device Protection Plan beginning July 1. The Technology Protection Plan is optional; it is not required, however, by electing not to participate in the Protection Plan, families may be required to reimburse the school district for the replacement or repair of damaged Chromebooks assigned to their student/s. Damaged or broken screens may cost between $50 to $150 depending on parts needed; or the replacement cost for the entire device could be up to $410.
Families can opt-in to the Device Protection Plan by logging into A-HConnect, and selecting "My Student Information," and "Fees." Parents must select or decline coverage under the Device Protection Plan. View detailed information at ahschools.us/techprotect.
🏅The district’s efforts to inform and engage students, staff and community members has been recognized as some of the nation’s best.
The district’s communication and public relations team earned three awards from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), which is a professional organization for public and private school districts and post-secondary institutions from around the country.
Anoka-Hennepin received excellence awards in the Newsletter and Video categories:
- Focusing on efficiencies: đź“° The Back-to-School FOCUS (2023-24) e-newsletter includes key information to help families prepare for the new school year. A shift from a print to an electronic format saved money and increased access to information through language translation and accessibility options.
- Inspiring teamwork: The back-to-school video, The Power of Purpose, introduced new Superintendent Cory McIntyre to the Anoka-Hennepin community - while noting that great moments, great opportunities and miracles happen in schools each day. 🏒
The district also received an award of merit in the Video Series category.
Spotlight on elementary schools: 📺 The Elementary School Spotlight video series gives viewers a snapshot of activities inside the school and introduces the school principal to build connections and understanding of each school’s culture. View the library of school videos on the district’s YouTube channel.
Anoka-Hennepin’s four-member communication and public relations team includes Jim Skelly, executive director; Heather Peters, assistant director; Tim Evans, communication specialist; and Jessica Sauro, communications assistant.