Legislative platform for 2022

The mission of Anoka-Hennepin Schools is to effectively educate each student for success. The district serves 38,677 preK-12 students and 247,394 residents living in 13 communities. Anoka-Hennepin Schools operates 26 elementary schools, six middle schools, and five high schools, plus alternative middle, high school, special education, and early learning sites. The student demographic profile includes 40% students of color, and 7% English learner students. Additionally, 33% of students qualify for free and/or reduced lunch status, and 16% of students are receiving special education services.

View the 2022 Anoka-Hennepin legislative platform brochure.

Legislative priorities for 2022:

We ask legislators to consider funding and policy decisions that will support Anoka-Hennepin Schools.

Stabilize funding

• Increase equalization for operating referendum to support local taxpayer fairness and reduce disparities.
• Increase funding of the special education and English learner programs to reduce the cross subsidy that requires resources from the district’s general fund. The annual cross subsidies are $35 million and $6 million, respectively.
• Increase the Safe Schools levy and state aid to allow the hiring of more support staff to address student mental and chemical health challenges. 

Address staffing challenges

• Provide supplemental funding to address labor shortages in areas such as paraprofessionals, childcare workers, child nutrition staff, and others that support school operations.
• Support creative strategies to increase the number of licensed teachers in order to meet staffing shortages, including maintaining or increasing flexibility in the tiered licensure process, and removing barriers affecting the substitute teacher shortage.
• Continue to address policy changes in special education that may reduce costs and improve services to students.