Hopkins Public Schools staff presented the board on Oct. 21 with a “shared approach” to belonging that relies on student success cultural liaisons, affinity groups, caregiver academies and new district coalitions to improve outcomes and family engagement.

Anne Ertle of the Innovation, Design and Learning team framed the work as strategic rather than a set of ad hoc efforts, and introduced a team that included student success cultural liaisons, an LGBTQ+ community liaison and staff who support culturally responsive practices. “Creating a sense of belonging is not a lot of random acts,” a presenter said. “It’s actually a very intentional and concerted effort.”

Ayan, a student success cultural liaison, described four roles the liaisons fill: student support, affinity groups, family engagement and cultural representation. He said the district is scaling affinity groups to the elementary level and running parent academies tailored to multicultural families that address enrollment, attendance and language access. The presentation noted the district serves families representing 66 home languages.

Brooke, who presented the Hopkins Coalition for Black Scholar Success, said the coalition is building caregiver leadership, school site councils, and targeted initiatives to reduce achievement gaps while celebrating culture and student leadership. The coalition aims to advance equitable practices and to design accountability measures in partnership with caregivers and principals.

Laura Jensen, the district’s LGBTQ+ community liaison and a North Middle School reading teacher, described a multi‑part effort that included welcoming‑schools professional development, a staff affinity group, caregiver support for families of gender‑expansive children and student Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSAs). Jensen said she and colleagues offered more than 50 hours of training last year and that roughly 50 staff and 50 caregivers subscribe to related communications lists.

Staff highlighted concrete results: expansion of middle‑ and high‑school affinity groups with consistent participation (30–50 scholars at some groups), parent sessions that avoid one‑size‑fits‑all formats, and partnerships with school leaders to embed cultural representation in classrooms and events. Presenters said affinity groups and liaison work increase attendance and student engagement by helping scholars feel seen and supported.

Trustees asked about structure and coordination. School board members were told the district intends to continue developing site councils at each school and to convene an executive committee of parents for the Hopkins Coalition. Officials also said they will continue monthly coordination so liaisons share practices and avoid duplicative work. Board members praised the outreach and encouraged staff to continue invitations to board members and to publish regular updates on progress.

The presentation concluded with a reminder that recent budget pressures required some district leadership changes, and presenters thanked staff for continuing the work in a lean administrative environment.