Detailed Session Recap

🔍Superintendent Search — Resolved

The May 13 special meeting minutes, approved in tonight’s consent agenda, confirm the full search timeline. At the May 11 special meeting, the board advanced three semi-finalists (Candidates A, F, and J) for semi-finalist interviews, each by 6-0 vote. Interviews proceeded May 13. At the May 13 special meeting, the board voted 6-0 to advance Candidate I and enter into contract negotiations. Candidate I was identified publicly as Greg Cole, Chief Operations Officer. The search was conducted with the assistance of the external firm Hazard, Young and Attea.

📋Consent Agenda — Approved 6-0

The consent agenda was extensive. Key groupings:

Personnel — Retirements & Resignations

• 2 retirements (Paul Brown, Educational Service Center; Janet Sheils, Rum River Elementary)
• 21 resignations/terminations across district schools and service centers, effective June 8 – July 31, 2026
• Leaves of absence and modified leaves for 20+ additional staff

Appointments — Fall 2026 (Effective August 31, 2026)

The board approved more than 60 new teacher and administrator appointments for fall 2026. Key hires at Hoover Elementary include:

• Amanda Hoffman Towle — Teacher SA-Coach, Masters+45/21, $101,119
• Sara Nash — Teacher EL, Masters+60/19, $102,744
• Jennifer Cavanaugh — Teacher E/BD (Special Ed), Masters+60/22, $106,751
• Resa Delaney — Teacher SLD (Special Ed), Masters/3, $63,269

New administrators appointed include:

• Christopher Nelson — Principal, Anoka Middle Fred Moore Campus, $161,909
• Cassandra Peterson — Principal, River Trail Learning Center, $151,331
• Cassandra Anderson — Asst. Principal/Athletics, Anoka High, $134,069
• Mackenna Fredericksen — Asst. Principal, Coon Rapids Middle, $113,995
• Traci Andersen — Asst. SpEd Administrator, Two Rivers Transition Program, $103,600
• Rachel Maschke — Asst. SpEd Administrator, Sorteberg Early Childhood, $103,600
• Bethany Rice — Asst. Principal, Sand Creek Elementary, $107,332
• Trisha Nguyen — Asst. Principal, Mississippi Elementary, $107,332

MSHSL Membership Resolutions

Annual membership resolutions were approved for all five district high schools — Anoka, Andover, Blaine, Champlin Park, and Coon Rapids — authorizing each school’s participation in Minnesota State High School League-sponsored interscholastic activities and athletics for 2026-27. Each must be submitted to the MSHSL no later than July 31, 2026.

Bid Rescissions & Replacements — Food Service

Two prior food service awards were rescinded because products no longer met the written specification:

• Pizza (Stuffed Crust): Conagra Brands award rescinded; replaced with Nardone Bros., $57.98/case (70/4.98 oz portions)
• Hot Dogs (No Pork): Tyson Foods award rescinded; replaced with Hormel Foods Sales, LLC, $78.77/case (4/5 lb)

Polling Place Agreements

Agreements approved with the Cities of Andover, Blaine, Brooklyn Park, and Coon Rapids authorizing district facilities to serve as polling locations for upcoming elections.

📊Work Session — Item 4A: 2026 Minnesota Legislative Review

Presented by Jim Skelly (Executive Director of Communication and Public Relations) and Lori Grivna (Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations, Amundson Strategies — the district’s external government relations firm). The presentation covered outcomes from the 2026 legislative session affecting Anoka-Hennepin, including funding formulas, policy changes, and any items directly impacting district operations. Supporting materials were in the board packet as Appendix I, J, and K.

🏗️Work Session — Item 4B: 10-Year Long Term Facility Maintenance Plan — First Read

Presented by COO Greg Cole, CFO Michelle Vargas, and Director of Buildings & Grounds Ben Martinson. The district’s Long Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) plan is a state-required planning document that governs capital spending on building systems, deferred maintenance, and facility upgrades across all district buildings over the next decade. This was a first read — no action was taken. The plan will return for further consideration at a future board meeting.

🗺️Work Session — Item 4C: District Boundary Adjustment Proposal — Discussion

Presented by COO Greg Cole. A proposal to adjust district attendance boundaries was presented to the board for discussion. This item was classified as a discussion and input item — final decision at a subsequent meeting. No vote was taken. Supporting materials were in the board packet as Appendix N, O, and P.

PAC’s Plain Talk

✅ What the board got right:

• Superintendent search conducted with transparency. The board held the special meetings publicly, the votes are on the record, and the firm was disclosed. Every word of the process is available to the community.
• MSHSL memberships renewed on schedule. Annual administration handled cleanly before the July 31 deadline.
• Bid rescissions handled correctly. When product specifications were not met, the awards were pulled and rebid to the next responsive vendor. That is the process working as intended.
• Hoover Elementary staffed with experienced teachers for fall. The appointments at Hoover — including SA-Coach, EL, E/BD, and SLD positions — bring experienced staff at competitive salary levels to a school serving the Coon Rapids community directly.

⚠️ What demands follow-through:

The new superintendent is an internal hire — community engagement begins now

Greg Cole knows the budget, the buildings, and the org chart. What the community does not yet know is his public philosophy on the issues that matter most: the $11M deficit, the boundary changes, the LTFM priorities, and the staffing reductions that have driven sustained public testimony this year. The June 22 regular meeting is the first formal occasion for community members to hear from him directly. Show up. Ask questions. Establish expectations early.

Boundary adjustments will affect families — do not wait for the vote

Item 4C came to the board as a discussion item, which means a vote is coming. Attendance boundary changes are among the most consequential decisions a school board makes for families — they determine where children go to school and which communities are built around which buildings. The discussion-to-vote window is the only period during which the outcome can still be shaped by public input. Families should request the proposal materials now and plan to attend the vote meeting, whenever it is scheduled.

The LTFM plan is a first read now — a spending commitment later

A 10-year Long Term Facility Maintenance Plan is not a routine document. It defines capital priorities for every school building in the district, funded through a dedicated levy, over the next decade. Given that the FY27 operating budget already projects a deficit, the community needs to understand how LTFM obligations are funded, which projects are prioritized, and what tradeoffs they require. Request the full plan — Appendix L and M from the June 8 packet — before it returns for a vote.

Sixty-plus appointments in one consent vote is significant

The board approved more than 60 new teacher and administrator appointments as part of the consent agenda. The combined annual salary commitment runs into the millions. Consent agendas are standard governance — but residents should know these decisions are being made, understand the salary scales involved, and recognize they have the right to request any item be pulled for separate discussion before the vote if they have concerns.

The legislative review is a closed loop without community access

The district engaged an outside firm to track the 2026 session. What the community learns about the outcomes — what was asked for, what was received, what was sacrificed — depends entirely on what staff chooses to share in summary form. Residents should request Appendix I, J, and K from the June 8 packet directly and evaluate whether the district’s legislative priorities aligned with community needs.

💡 What residents should demand:

1. Attend June 22 — budget vote, calendar second read, and Greg Cole’s first meeting as incoming superintendent. Introduce your expectations publicly.
2. Request the boundary adjustment proposal — Appendix N, O, P — before it returns for a vote. Know which zones are affected before the board acts.
3. Request the full LTFM plan — Appendix L, M — and understand the funding assumptions before it moves to adoption.
4. Request the legislative briefing materials — Appendix I, J, K — to independently assess whether the district’s legislative priorities represent community interests.
5. Ask Greg Cole directly at a public meeting: What is his position on the boundary changes? What is his approach to the operating deficit? How will he engage with families who have concerns about staffing reductions?

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