SCHOOL BOARD OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 11 (Anoka-Hennepin School District) STATE OF MINNESOTA MINUTES OF MEETING

SCHOOL BOARD OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 11
(ANOKA-HENNEPIN SCHOOL DISTRICT)
STATE OF MINNESOTA
MINUTES OF MEETING
The School Board of Anoka-Hennepin Independent School District No. 11 held a meeting on Monday, September 23, 2024, at Sandburg Education Center, Anoka, Minnesota.
Co-Chair Kacy Deschene called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.
The following members were present: Zach Arco, Matt Audette, Kacy Deschene, Linda Hoekman, Dr. Michelle
Langenfeld and Jeff Simon.
Dr. Michelle Langenfeld motioned to approve the Board Agenda as presented. Matt Audette seconded. Motion passed with a 6-0 vote.
The School Board recognized staff from the following programs. Each of them was given a medal in honor of
their achievements. Greg Cole, Chief Operations Officer and B.J. Ison, Director of Transportation honored Jeff
Mueller, Transportation Safety Coordinator for the 2024 MN Associate of Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Administrator of the Year Award. Keith Paulson and Chuck Holden, former Directors of Transportation joined the group in
honoring Jeff Mueller for his 25+ years of amazing service to Anoka-Hennepin School District. Greg Cole, chief
operations officer, B.J. Ison, director of transportation and Jeff Mueller, transportation safety coordinator presented the winners of the 2023-24 Minnesota School Bus Safety Poster Contest. Kaeto Evuleocha, kindergarten
- University Avenue Elementary; Asher Dahl, grade 3 - Sunrise Elementary; Rosalyn Norton, grade 5 - Jefferson
Elementary; Cameron Kelly, grade 6 - River Trail Learning Center; Fatima Muhamed, grade 7 - Northdale Middle
School; Brielle Whitney, grade 8 - Oak View Middle School; and Ramirez Magana, grade 9 - River Trail Learning
Center. Dr. Mary Wolverton, associate superintendent for elementary schools, presented Monroe Elementary
School - Mathematics, Science and Children’s Engineering for recognition as a Project Lead the Way distinguished school. Monroe is one of three in the district and nine in the state to receive the distinction of Project
Lead the Way Program Recognition-Distinguished Launch. Amy Oliver, principal, and Kristin Contons, curriculum
integrator, were honored to accept the recognition on behalf of the school.
CONSENT AGENDA
Jeff Simon moved and Co-Chair Zach Arco seconded the motion to approve the following consent agenda
items:
a. Minutes from the September 9, 2024, School Board work session.
b. Personnel items as follows:
RETIREMENTS
Name
Current or Most Recent Position
Last Date Employed
Carol Pearson
Rum River Elementary, Child Nutrition Assistant FT
01/03/2025
Kimberly Wheelis Sorteberg ECC, Para Special Education ECSE
11/22/2024
A detailed list of the Resignations/Terminations, Layoffs and Recalls, Leave of Absence, Modified Leave of
Absence, Appointments, Monthly Revenue & Expenditures and Cash Disbursements is available through the
Anoka-Hennepin ISD 11 webpage or at the district office located at 2727 N Ferry Street, Anoka, MN 55303. If
you would like a printed copy of this portion of the minutes, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to
the attention of Debbie Koffski at the above address.
c. Cash Disbursements Report
Fund No. Description
Checks
Electronic Payments
ACH Payments
P-Card
TOTAL DISTRICT

Amount
$
10,239,459.62
$
19,453,833.89
$
7,583,875.72
$
3,468,252.80
$
40,745,422.03

d. Cash Balance Report.

e. Donations & Scholarship Reports.
The donations received for the month of May are $49,656.16. A detailed list of the donations funds received
is available through the Anoka-Hennepin Schools website or at the district office located at 2727 N Ferry Street,
Anoka, MN 55303. If you would like a printed copy of this portion of the minutes, please send a stamped,
self-addressed envelope to the attention of Debbie Koffski at the above address.
f. Approved Monthly Revenue & Expenditures.
g. Approved 102.0G Equal Educational Opportunity Policy-Gender Inclusion Guidance, Revised.
h. Approved 512.0 School Sponsored Media Policy, Revised.
i. Approved Bid #25011B-Sand Creek Elementary, HVAC Replacement-Phase 4.
j. Approved City of Andover-School Resource Officer Contract #C000491.
k. Approved Anoka Area Ice Arena Rental Contract #C000510.
l. Approved Bid #25012B-Eisenhower Elementary, HVAC Replacement & Deferred Maintenance, Phase 2.
m. Immunization Exclusions—names and specifics are not included because of data privacy.
Motion passed with a 6-0 vote.
The School Board received testimony from Jackie Johnson and Rick Chiero.
Superintendent McIntyre gave a report to the Board and reviewed the Board calendar. The Superintendent

shared that Anoka-Hennepin is welcoming 473 new employees this school year. Teachers led the list with 175
new teachers, some of those teachers worked through the district’s “grow your own” program from other positions. The second largest group of new employees are paraeducators with 87 new employees. The district
has a total of 7834 employees. The School Board took action to improve wages and the district launched a
“back to school” hiring blitz which assisted in the recruitment effort. Our current staffing situation shows full
coverage for classroom positions with recruitment continuing for substitutes and operational positions such as
paraeducators and child nutrition staff. Residents looking to help your local schools should visit ahschools.us/
jobs to see what positions are available. The Superintendent gave a shoutout to our Transportation Dept. that
coordinates the largest system for student transportation in the State of Minnesota with nine vendors. B.J. Ison,
director of transportation, shared that our system includes 290 yellow school buses and 100 passenger vehicles visiting 8,000 individual bus stop locations to pick up and deliver students. While vendors are still actively
recruiting drivers, the situation with staffing and service delivery has improved from past years. Superintendent
McIntyre stated that new legislation provided breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students and continues to
grow in popularity. The district is serving up over 27,000 lunches and 10,000 breakfasts each day, both of those
numbers are up from last year. Thanks to our child nutrition director Noah Atlas and the entire child nutrition
staff for stepping up and feeding our students. Superintendent McIntyre highlighted our Two Rivers Transition
Program at Franklin which opened as scheduled this fall, bringing together the former Bridges and Pathways
program into a much improved facility for learning. The district will host a dedication ceremony for that facility on
Thursday, Oct. 10 and we will be inviting community members, neighbors, Anoka officials and others to see the
new facility and join in the excitement. Superintendent McIntyre shared that the month of September is School
Board Member recognition month in the State of Minnesota. This is a time to recognize the dedicated service to
our schools and community from our Anoka-Hennepin School Board members. We don’t always get a chance
to say “Thank you” for stepping up and serving your community. He thanked board members for all they do to
make our schools the best they can be. In recognition their school board service, they received a small token of
appreciation - a small packet of greeting cards made by our Work Based Learning Program students, out of the
Sweet Side Bakery & Boutique located in our S.T.E.P. building in Anoka, and led by Erin Rischer, HS DCD Work
Based Learning Coordinator.
Michelle Vargas, chief financial officer, presented the preliminary tax certification for board approval. The action sets the maximum tax levy payable in 2025, an amount that will be reviewed and authorized at the December
9 School Board meeting following a public hearing. Vargas explained that the levy amounts are mainly guided
through state funding formulas and voter approved levies. The recommended maximum tax levy would only
increase property taxes for individual homeowners who experience an increase in the value of their property.
Anoka County and Hennepin County will establish draft tax statements which will be mailed to property owners
in November. Jeff Simon motioned to approve the Preliminary Tax Certification for Taxes Payable 2025 and CoChair Zach Arco seconded. Motion passed on a 6-0 vote.
Cory McIntyre, superintendent of Anoka-Hennepin Schools, presented a recommendation on the budget reduction and realignment process and timelines. A convergence of factors including limited and stable enrollment
growth, elimination of federal pandemic relief fund, higher than budgeted employee contract settlements, inflation and increasing costs for operations along with other factors. The district is considering Phase 2 reductions
of $21 million for a total reduction of $26 million prior to the 2025-26 school year. The School Board will also
consider a second option to limit reductions to central services and hold a referendum election with the goal of
limiting any reductions directly at school sites. Community feedback will be collected as part of this process. An
online survey tool will collect feedback and community open house meetings will be held to collect additional
feedback for School Board consideration following the recommendation. Approval of Phase 2 recommendations
is expected at the Nov. 25, 2024 school board meeting.
Tim Palmatier, general counsel, along with Britt Olean, District Social Worker, provided a first reading of Policy
503.0 Attendance and Absences Policy, New Policy. The School Board will consider approval at a future meeting.
Dr. Jennifer Cherry, executive director of human resources, presented to the School Board the Anoka-Hennepin School Readiness/Kindergarten Readiness Preschool Teachers 2024-25 Master Agreement for approval. The
agreement was within the budget authority provided by the school board. Jeff Simon motioned to approve the
Anoka-Hennepin School Readiness/Kindergarten Readiness Preschool Teachers 2024-25 Master Agreement as
presented. Dr. Michelle Langenfeld seconded. Motion passed on a 6-0 vote.
Dr. Jennifer Cherry, executive director of human resources, provided the School Board with an update on the
status of negotiations for employee groups consistent with Board Policy 209, Negotiations Code of Ethics. The
presentation included an overview of the status of negotiations with the district’s bargaining groups and policy
groups.
Co-Chair Zach Arco highlighted the high energy in the live show displayed at the Blaine High School Homecoming Pepfest. He enjoyed being a part of the well attended celebration in their fieldhouse. Dr. Michelle Langenfeld shared her visit to Adams Elementary open house was appreciated as she witnessed the resources and
supports available to parents and families around language acquisition and supports for our families. Dr. Langenfeld highlighted her Coon Rapids Middle School visit and found herself at a place they call ‘four corners’, an infamous place to stand during passing time, and saw the positive energy between staff and students, and thanked
staff and administrators for a strong start to the school year. Co-Chair Kacy Deschene shared her experience
at Champlin Park High’s Homecoming game as the ‘Gate Guard’, letting students on and off the track. A huge
shoutout to the student section as the Rebels won 40-0 against Osseo and the excitement surrounding that win.
Co-Chair Kacy Deschene proposed under Minnesota State Law 13D.05 sub 3(c)(1) that they move into a
closed session to discuss the sale of property located at 13025 Central Ave. NE, Blaine, MN. The closed session
will be held in the Michael Sullivan Room. Jeff Simon moved and Co-Chair Arco seconded the motion to go into
closed sessions. Motion carried.
Co-Chair Deschene recessed the meeting at 9:00 p.m. The meeting reconvened in closed executive session
at 9:09 p.m. to discuss the sale of property located at 13025 Central Ave. NE, Blaine, MN.
Co-Chair Kacy Deschene recessed the meeting at 9:25 p.m. Jeff Simon moved and Linda Hoekman seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed.
Published in the
Anoka County UnionHerald, The Life
October 25, 2024
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