Anoka-Hennepin School District 11
Encyclopedia
The Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 is a school district in Minnesota
, northwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul
. The district serves 13 communities: All of Anoka
, Champlin
and Coon Rapids
, and parts of Andover
, Blaine
, Brooklyn Center
, Brooklyn Park
, Dayton
, Fridley
, Ham Lake
, Nowthen, Oak Grove
and Ramsey
. The district's name refers to its geographic span over two counties: it covers the southern portion of Anoka County
and the northeast part of Hennepin County
. The district was formed in 1952 after dozens of small rural school districts voted to consolidate.
The superintendent is Mr. Dennis L. Carlson. The previous superintendent, Dr. Roger Giroux, retired in 2008. As of the 2008-09 school year, it is the largest school district in Minnesota with an enrollment of 38,500
students in grades K-12. Additional students attend pre-k programs as well as adults who are earning a diploma or GED through the district's Adult Basic Education program.
The district runs two specialized programs for high school students:
in the U.S. Department of Education over the climate of anti-gay harassment and discrimination based on sex, including peer-on-peer harassment based on not conforming to gender stereotypes.
Anoka-Hennepin is in the congressional district represented by Michele Bachmann
and contains the high school the congresswoman attended; this suicide epidemic led to questions during her presidential campaign
about her opposition to anti-bullying policies and her other anti-gay policies and rhetoric. Her office did not comment on the suicides.
The district has received criticism for its Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy because it states that teachers should be neutral when addressing issues of sexual orientation in their classrooms. Critics have said this "neutrality policy" prevents acceptance and open discussion of GLBT people and issues in schools, and is essentially a "gag order" on teachers. . District administration has attempted to clarify the policy by explaining its anti-bullying and harassment policies specifically name sexual orientation as a protected class of people. The Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy states teachers can address issues of sexual orientation in their classes provided the discussion is age-appropriate, fact-based and connected to the curriculum. In July 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit against the district because of this policy and on behalf of five current and former students who say that they were discriminated against because of their real or perceived sexual orientation and that teachers and district officials facilitated said violence and discrimination; a sixth student was added to the lawsuit a month later.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, northwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. The district serves 13 communities: All of Anoka
Anoka, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 18,076 people, 7,262 households and 4,408 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,709.0 per square mile . There were 7,398 housing units at an average density of 1,108.7 per square mile...
, Champlin
Champlin, Minnesota
Champlin is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,089 at the 2010 census.U.S. Route 169 serves as a main arterial route in the city.- Geography :...
and Coon Rapids
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 61,627 people, 22,578 households, and 16,572 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,718.1 people per square mile . There were 22,828 housing units at an average density of 1,007.2 per square mile...
, and parts of Andover
Andover, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,588 people, 8,107 households, and 7,150 families residing in the city. The population density was 779.6 people per square mile . There were 8,205 housing units at an average density of 240.6 per square mile...
, Blaine
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
, Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
As of the census of 2010, there were 30,104 residents in Brooklyn Center. The racial makeup of the city was 49% White, 26% African American, 1% Native American, 14% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
, Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
According to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
, Dayton
Dayton, Minnesota
Dayton is a city in Hennepin and Wright counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. Dayton is mainly in Hennepin County, but a part of the city extends into Wright County as well. It is the northernmost city in Hennepin County.The city of Dayton, platted...
, Fridley
Fridley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,449 people, 11,328 households, and 7,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,701.3 people per square mile . There were 11,504 housing units at an average density of 1,132.1 per square mile...
, Ham Lake
Ham Lake, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,710 people, 4,139 households, and 3,472 families residing in the city. The population density was 368.9 people per square mile . There were 4,208 housing units at an average density of 122.1 per square mile...
, Nowthen, Oak Grove
Oak Grove, Minnesota
Oak Grove is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. It is north of Minneapolis. The population was 8,031 at the 2010 census. The city was formerly Oak Grove Township before it was incorporated on December 20, 1993.-History:...
and Ramsey
Ramsey, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,510 people, 5,906 households, and 5,102 families residing in the city. The population density was 642.9 people per square mile . There were 5,946 housing units at an average density of 206.5 per square mile...
. The district's name refers to its geographic span over two counties: it covers the southern portion of Anoka County
Anoka County, Minnesota
Anoka County is the fourth-most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the counties of Isanti on the north, Chisago and Washington on the east, Hennepin and Ramsey on the south, Sherburne on the west, and the Mississippi River on the southwest.As of 2010, Anoka...
and the northeast part of Hennepin County
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
. The district was formed in 1952 after dozens of small rural school districts voted to consolidate.
The superintendent is Mr. Dennis L. Carlson. The previous superintendent, Dr. Roger Giroux, retired in 2008. As of the 2008-09 school year, it is the largest school district in Minnesota with an enrollment of 38,500
students in grades K-12. Additional students attend pre-k programs as well as adults who are earning a diploma or GED through the district's Adult Basic Education program.
School Board
Anoka-Hennepin is governed by a six member board who are elected to four-year terms.Elementary schools
- Adams Elementary School
- Andover Elementary School
- Crooked Lake Elementary School
- Dayton Elementary School
- Eisenhower Elementary School
- Evergreen Park Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- Hamilton Elementary School
- Hoover Elementary School
- Jefferson Elementary School
- Johnsville Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts
- L.O. Jacob Elementary School
- Madison Elementary School
- McKinley Elementary School
- Mississippi Elementary School
- Monroe Elementary School
- Morris Bye Elementary School
- Oxbow Creek Elementary School
- Ramsey Elementary School
- Rum River Elementary School
- Sand Creek Elementary School
- Sorterberg Elementary School
- University Avenue Elementary School
- Washington Elementary School
- Wilson Elementary School
Middle schools
- Coon Rapids Middle School
- Fred Moore Middle School
- Jackson Middle School
- Northdale Middle School
- Oak View Middle School
- Roosevelt Middle School
- Sandburg Middle School
Senior High Schools
- Andover High School
- Anoka High SchoolAnoka High SchoolAnoka High School is a four year public high school located in Anoka, Minnesota on 3939 7th Avenue N.-School overview:Anoka High School is part of Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 and is one of five regular high schools in the district...
- Blaine High SchoolBlaine High School (Minnesota)Blaine High School is a high school in Blaine, Minnesota: part of the Anoka-Hennepin School District 11. The school was opened in 1972, as part of the Blaine Project. The current principal is John Phelps. The school colors are blue and white, and the mascot is the Bengal Tiger.-Academics:Blaine...
(includes the Center for Engineering, Mathematics and Science) - Champlin Park High SchoolChamplin Park High SchoolChamplin Park High School is a four year public high school located in Champlin, Minnesota.The school's name, Champlin Park, comes from the combination of bordering cities Brooklyn Park and Champlin...
- Coon Rapids High SchoolCoon Rapids High SchoolCoon Rapids High School is a high school located at 2340 Northdale Blvd. Coon Rapids, Minnesota, United States. It has an enrollment of about 2800 students in grades nine through twelve. The school colors are scarlet red,white & black. The school mascot is the Cardinal...
The district runs two specialized programs for high school students:
- Crossroads Alternative High School
- Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP)
Other sites
- Bell Center
- Bridges Program
- Early Childhood at the Family Center Mall
- Educational Service Center (district office)
- Family Welcome Center
- Learning Center and Distribution Complex (houses Community Education Department, Early Childhood Special Education and Special Education departments)
- Riverview Early Childhood Center
- Transition Plus
Non-public schools
These private and parochial schools are located within the Anoka-Hennepin School District but are not affiliated.- Epiphany Catholic School
- Saint Stephens Catholic School
Anti-gay harassment and suicide epidemic
Between 2009 and 2011, nine students in Anoka-Hennepin committed suicide; the area is designated by state health officials as a "suicide contagion area." Many of these students were gay or perceived by their classmates to be gay, leading to bullying. The district is the subject of a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil RightsOffice for Civil Rights
The Office for Civil Rights is a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Education that is primarily focused on protecting civil rights in Federally assisted education programs and prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, age, or membership in patriotic...
in the U.S. Department of Education over the climate of anti-gay harassment and discrimination based on sex, including peer-on-peer harassment based on not conforming to gender stereotypes.
Anoka-Hennepin is in the congressional district represented by Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
and contains the high school the congresswoman attended; this suicide epidemic led to questions during her presidential campaign
Michele Bachmann presidential campaign, 2012
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota began a campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president of the United States in June 2011. Bachmann announced she was running for president during the CNN Republican primary debate held June 13, 2011, and made her formal announcement two...
about her opposition to anti-bullying policies and her other anti-gay policies and rhetoric. Her office did not comment on the suicides.
The district has received criticism for its Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy because it states that teachers should be neutral when addressing issues of sexual orientation in their classrooms. Critics have said this "neutrality policy" prevents acceptance and open discussion of GLBT people and issues in schools, and is essentially a "gag order" on teachers. . District administration has attempted to clarify the policy by explaining its anti-bullying and harassment policies specifically name sexual orientation as a protected class of people. The Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy states teachers can address issues of sexual orientation in their classes provided the discussion is age-appropriate, fact-based and connected to the curriculum. In July 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit against the district because of this policy and on behalf of five current and former students who say that they were discriminated against because of their real or perceived sexual orientation and that teachers and district officials facilitated said violence and discrimination; a sixth student was added to the lawsuit a month later.