(03/01/2022) The Anoka-Hennepin School Board approved a recommendation for a one-year temporary boundary adjustment for approximately 120 incoming Kindergarten students for the 2022-23 year at their Feb. 28 meeting. Here are some key points from the action:

• The recommendation identified incoming Kindergarten students who live in a neighborhood bounded by Radisson Road on the west, Lexington Avenue on the east, the Blaine city border on the north and district border on the south, to be included in the one-year temporary boundary adjustment.
• Students in this area will attend Johnsville Elementary next school year. Sunrise Elementary classroom teachers will provide instruction. 
• Students will be transported directly to Johnsville in the morning and will be shuttled to Sunrise Elementary at the end of the school day, to ride home with siblings and students from their neighborhood. 
• All students will receive the same level of instruction. The school day will begin early at Johnsville for these students to allow for time to leave early for afternoon transportation. 
• Families who attend Adventures Plus before-school child care at Sunrise will  receive transportation to and from Johnsville, or consider enrollment at Johnsville. 

Why was this temporary adjustment necessary?

Sunrise was built to serve 1,000 students, and our school is currently at 1,129 and growing. Without relief, enrollment is projected to increase to 1,248 students next year, and the ability to effectively operate the school and also meet class size guidelines would be compromised. 

Timeline and process

Parents/guardians and staff provided input at community meetings on Jan. 11 and Feb. 8, submitted feedback via an online form and through email communication. The process began with possible solutions that included a fifth-grade option to Roosevelt Middle School, a fifth-grade option to Johnsville Elementary and other considerations that emerged through community feedback.

The need for the adjustment was initially presented to the School Board as a two-year option at on Dec. 13, 2021 meeting, with an update on Jan. 24 meeting prior to approval. School communicated with existing families using our email/text system and with families of known incoming Kindergarten families using U.S. Mail.