CHAMPLIN, Minn. — The Anoka-Hennepin School District is considering boundary changes that would impact 12 elementary schools and two middle schools, due to an explosion of population in the eastern and western edges of the state's largest district.
The district said about 1,000 students -- out of 37,000 in the district -- could be impacted by the proposal. Final plans will be presented to the school board next month, and if the board approves them, they'll take effect for the 2023-24 school year.
Caleb Heck, whose son is a third-grader at Oxbo Creek Elementary, would have to move down the road to Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy under the proposed changes.
"A little nervous for my son to move. We kind of just finished the whole pandemic thing," Heck said. "All the sudden having to move out of a familiar school, teachers, friends, and start all over again -- that's just another complication."
Greg Cole, the chief operations officer for Anoka-Hennepin, acknowledged that boundary changes are very difficult on parents, but he said major population shifts have forced the district to take action. With more families living in areas of Dayton, Champlin and Blaine, a failure to adjust boundaries could lead to overcrowding, larger classes and poor teacher-student ratios, he said.
"If you're asking them to change schools, that can be really hard. We're trying to minimize that as much as possible but at the same time address the population shifting that's occurring," Cole said. "We've had a lot of rapid development, specifically in the Blaine and Dayton areas, and as a result of that shifting that's gone on, we've had to reevaluate the capacities at all our schools to ensure they're rightsized."
The district will allow families to apply for in-district transfers so that they can stay put in their current schools. Priority will go to fourth and fifth-grade students, although families would have to find their own transportation options.
On Wednesday night, the district held one of several community meetings at Champlin Park High School, to address the so-called "Champlin cluster" that feeds into the high school.
Despite the uncertainty about his son's future schooling, Caleb Heck said he's trying to "come into it with an open mind."
"Try to understand both perspectives, look at our options and move forward from there," Heck said. "You don't want an overcrowded school or anything like that. As things change, and shift, you have to adjust. You have to balance that with what you want for your own kids and their perspective."
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