High school stadium lights
Rumor: The high schools waste lots of money and energy by leaving their stadium lights on all night long. (from October 2009)

The facts: High schools do not regularly leave on stadium lights overnight, but during homecoming week some turn on a few lights at night in order to discourage vandalism. In the past, damage to fields and stadiums has cost thousands of dollars in emergency repairs and overtime to restore the field for the homecoming game. The short-term expense to power a few lights for several hours outweighs the cost of damage to the field and stadium.


High school schedule and credit changes
Rumor: Now that the elementary schools have implemented the trimester concept, it is a foregone conclusion high schools also be on a trimester schedule. (from April 2009)
 
The facts: All Anoka-Hennepin elementary schools began operating on a trimester schedule this fall. The change was recommended by the Elementary Task Force as a way of addressing teacher workload concerns. In addition, this change will provide consistency throughout the district's schools. (For a number of years, some elementary schools were organized on a four-quarter schedule and others on a trimester schedule.) In all elementary schools, student report cards will be issued once each trimester and parent-teacher conferences will generally be scheduled near the middle of the trimester, though conference dates vary from school to school. The grades 1-12 school calendar will not change to reflect the new elementary schedule. The end-of-quarter staff planning days will remain on the calendar.
 
The elementary schedule change and the High School Credit/Schedule Committee research/data gathering are not connected or dependent on each other in any way. The Board-created Elementary and Secondary Taskforces have never met together and their work is not connected in regard to schedule/requirements.

The High School Credit/Schedule Committee process and research/information gathering stage is currently taking place and will be ongoing. The committee's goal is to review the data that has been collected and then make recommendations to the Secondary Taskforce. The Secondary Taskforce will then determine which proposed schedules will be sent to the High School Credit/Schedule Committee taskforces. The School Board will act on these proposals within the timeline already published and agreed upon by the Board. Click here for committee timeline.


Rumor: The district has already decided that the current four-period day schedule in the high schools will be eliminated. (from April 2009)

The facts: This is not true. The High School Schedule and Credit Committee, the Secondary Task Force and the School Board are now studying the possibility of changing the high school schedule beginning in 2010-11. They have considered a number of potential schedules. At this time, the Task Force and School Board have selected three schedules for further consideration. The current four-period day is one of the three selected for further study.


Champlin Park High School drug and gun searches
Rumor: I have heard rumors that Champlin Park High School had multiple drug busts last week and that guns were found in students' cars. (from April 2007)

The facts: Champlin Park High School conducted a pre-scheduled search activity in the school's parking lot during the morning of Apr. 19, 2007. The search was conducted by Brooklyn Park police officers with trained police dogs. Champlin Park administration and parking lot supervisors assisted in the search.

The dogs are trained to detect chemicals in enclosed areas. The purpose of this search activity, which is commonly conducted at high schools throughout the United States, is to identify students who are in possession of chemicals on school property. It also increases awareness among students and the community that possession and use of alcohol and illegal chemicals is not tolerated.

When searches of this type find illegal chemicals or weapons, students are disciplined according to the guidelines of the district Student Discipline Policy.

All Anoka-Hennepin high schools work hard to maintain a safe school environment that is free of alcohol and illegal chemicals, to provide awareness and prevention to help students avoid using alcohol and chemicals, and to provide support and assistance to students who are using chemicals.

The police and their dogs successfully identified vehicles in the parking lot which contained chemicals, such as marijuana and alcohol. No guns were found. School administration said that the search activity was organized and smoothly facilitated with minimal disruption to the school day.


Champlin Park High School illness
Rumor: I heard that there were over 200 students ill at Champlin Park High School on Friday, Nov. 3rd, 2006. Was this food poisoning? I also heard that the Department of Health was called because of the large number right away in the morning. What caused this illness? (from November 2006)

The facts: A number of Champlin Park High School students were absent or got sick at school Friday with a stomach illness. By the end of the day Friday, a total of 234 students either stayed home or went home ill. This represents an 7.1 percent absence rate, which is significantly higher than the average rate of three to five percent. It is still unknown how many of those illnesses were actually related to a possible stomach virus.

At this point there is no reason to believe the illness was the result of food poisoning related to food served in the school cafeteria. "With the majority of more than 3,000 students eating food prepared in the cafeteria, you would expect a much higher rate of illness if the cause was cafeteria food," said Cindy Hiltz, lead school nurse for the district. Some students who became ill did not eat school lunch and it is not known if all students absent Friday had the same type of illness. Hiltz said an illness rate of 10 percent is generally needed to trigger an in depth investigation into the cause of an illness. She reported the illnesses to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Health inspectors from the City of Brooklyn Park inspected the school kitchen Friday afternoon. Following the inspection, Jason Newby, environmental health specialist for Hennepin County, said the school facilities and the procedures followed by cafeteria staff were "excellent and unlikely to be the cause of the illness," according to Allison Bradford, Director of Child Nutrition for the district.

According to Newby, the Hennepin County epidemiologist has not yet ordered a complete investigation because the number of cases thus far has not reached the 10 percent threshold. If the number of cases climbs, there may be a full investigation.


Champlin Park High School uniform policy
Rumor: My son heard a rumor that Champlin Park High School was interested in initiating school uniforms for the school. Are there any plans within the next four years to put a uniform policy in place? (from June 2006)

The facts: Champlin Park High School is not looking into having uniforms next year or for any years to come
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High school prom events
Rumor: I heard that some high schools help students make arrangements for hotel rooms for prom night. (from May 2006)

Rumor: I heard that some high school students have alcohol at prom. (from May 2006)

The facts: Anoka-Hennepin high schools do not assist students in making hotel arrangements for prom night and alcohol is not allowed at prom events. School officials make sure that students have a fun and safe experience at prom by doing the following:

• Some schools go over event rules with students before prom.
• Alcohol wands and breathalyzers are on site, if needed.
• Some schools provide meals at the event location.
• Administrators, teachers, parents and police officers are present at the event.
• Some schools do not allow students into the event after a set time and do not allow students to re-enter after they leave.
• Exits are monitored by staff.
• Some schools interview the dates of students who are older than 21 or have a non-student sign a contract.