(08/28/20) With the 2020-21 school year set to begin, students, parents/guardians and the community have likely noticed various construction projects underway at a number of Anoka-Hennepin schools.

The projects are all part of phase two of the Fit for the Future plan, and a majority are scheduled to be completed before the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Take a look at phase two work being done:

• Andover High School: phase two construction on an outdoor adventures classroom, gymnasium and fitness spaces began this past spring. Additional outside storage and a parking lot have also been added. The outdoor adventures classroom, storage and parking area will be complete for the start of this school year. Gym and fitness spaces will be complete for the next school year.
• Anoka High School: phase two work began at the end of the last school year to expand the fieldhouse, fitness area and cafeteria, and all is scheduled to be completed for this school year.
• Anoka Middle School for the Arts: construction began at both campuses in late spring. At Washington, a classroom addition is being constructed, and the school’s gym and cafeteria expanded. Fred Moore will also have a classroom addition, and will also see the cafeteria expanded and the main office and front entry moved.
• Blaine High School: expansion of the fieldhouse and fitness areas, as well as the construction of a new front entry and main office area have begun.
• Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy (CBPA): a large classroom addition is being constructed, and the school will see expansion to its media center, cafeteria, and gym. This expansion will allow Jackson Middle School to reclaim a number of classrooms that CBPA has been using.
• Coon Rapids High School: phase two work has begun and includes linking the fieldhouse side of the school, adding a new fitness center, a new music room, and the remodeling of several classrooms.
• River Trail Learning Center at L.O. Jacob: a large classroom addition is being constructed, and a number of special education improvements are being done.

The Fit for the Future plan, which was backed by voters in November of 2017 when the community approved a request for new funding to make the plan happen, promised to create safe and secure learning environments by removing all portable classrooms across the district, construct additional schools and classroom space, provide solutions for maintaining quality schools at every building in the district, and address class sizes at all levels.

Phase one projects were completed last year, and included two new elementary schools — Sunrise Elementary in Blaine and Brookside Elementary in Ramsey, as well as major improvement projects at all five traditional high schools.

All district schools will also see a number of science, media center, and special education improvements by the end of the 2022-23 school year as part of the Fit for the Future plan.

Check out the timeline infographic for details on each construction project. A majority of the projects will be completed over the next four years.

Visit ahschools.us/FitForTheFuture for more information.