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Anoka-Hennepin board declines to require district-written SEL curriculum; current programs remain in place
Summary
After months of review, the Anoka-Hennepin School Board voted 3-3 on a motion to have the district write its own social-emotional learning curriculum; the tie left the administration's recommendation to keep the board-approved programs in place with some modifications.
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board on May 19 considered a months-long review of the district's social-emotional learning (SEL) programs and rejected a board motion to require the district to write its own SEL curriculum.
Superintendent Corey McIntyre told the board the administration recommended continuing to use the board-approved SEL materials (Character Strong and Leader in Me) while implementing committee-recommended adjustments. McIntyre and district staff presented results from a district review process that included teacher and parent surveys and a volunteer writing team.
The discussion centered on three options the administration presented: keep the purchased SEL programs and make recommended adjustments (Option 1); keep current materials another year and pursue a longer adoption process (Option 2); or discontinue the purchased materials and have district staff write new lessons aligned to the district's Portrait of a Graduate framework (Option 3).
Director D'Shane Arco moved the board to adopt Option 3 â directing the district to write its own SEL lessons â and Director Odette seconded. After discussion that ranged from concerns about teacher workload and the time required to field-test new materials to arguments about potential long-term cost savings, the motion failed on a 3-3 voice vote. The tie means the current, board-approved SEL programs will remain in place while the district implements the committee's recommended modifications.
Why this matters
SEL programming affects classroom practices across grade levels and involves recurring costs, teacher professional development and parent expectations. District staff told the board the two purchased programs cost roughly $68,000 per year to renew; internal writing costs were estimated at about $10,000 for an initial two-day/near-term effort by district staff (additional days may be required), while outside consultant estimates ranged from roughly $97,200 (5â6 months) to $372,000 (9â12 months) to write a full Kâ8 curriculum. The committee also calculated approximately 81 lessons would be needed to cover Kâ8 monthly lessons aligned to the Portrait of a Graduate framework.
What board members and community speakers said
- Superintendent Corey McIntyre summarized the administrative recommendations and the additional follow-up information the board had requested about staff capacity and consultant costs. He said the district had provided the board with extensive materials from prior work sessions and the adoption committee.
- Director D'Shane Arco argued for Option 3 and said a homegrown curriculum could save ongoing subscription costs and be aligned to local priorities.
- Director Langenfeld urged caution about the staff time needed to write and implement a new curriculum, and emphasized that the district's prior adoption process had involved broad stakeholder review. She cited district data offered earlier in the discussion in support of maintaining existing programs: principals had reported declines in behavioral incidents and suspensions after implementation of the purchased programs.
- Multiple public speakers urged different outcomes. Resident Emily Newharth asked the board to "vote for option 1" and told the board that approving the curriculum now would avoid teacher burnout from repeated adoptions. Janine Yuki Hansen, an elementary teacher, told the board Character Strong "is not poison" and urged the board to keep it in place. Patricia Bridal read a statement from a staff member and parent arguing that the curriculum teaches values that help students manage behavior and relationships.
Administration notes and committee findings
District staff said roughly 1,400 community responses, including parents and teachers, had been gathered during the review process. Teacher survey responses were mixed regarding time available to implement lessons: the administration reported that 51% of teachers said they did not have enough time to deliver some SEL lessons as currently scheduled. The district also described a proposed internal writing plan that would rely on a small summer writing team (about 12 staff plus administrators) for an initial set of days at an estimated internal cost near $10,000, with the caveat that additional time and resources would likely be needed to field-test and validate new lessons.
Vote and next steps
Director Arco moved Option 3; Director Odette seconded. The board voted by voice; the chair announced "With 3 in favor and 3 opposed, that motion fails." Because the motion failed and the board did not take other formal action changing current practice, the district will continue to implement the existing board-approved SEL curricula with the committee-recommended modifications and return to the board as directed.
The administration said it would answer additional questions from board members, collect any further input and carry out the modifications that the adoption committee recommended. Staff also provided two consultant cost estimates and a baseline internal estimate to inform any future decisions.
