How safe is the school, really?
Based on the school’s 2025–26 handbook, Anoka High School requires visitors to “check in at the security office for clearance and a visitor’s pass,” says “Fire, tornado, and lockdown drills are held during the year,” says it “is equipped with video cameras,” and lists a police liaison. In Niche’s student survey, 81% of the 42 students who responded agree they feel safe at the school. We found no news report of a lockdown, weapon or threat at Anoka High School.
| Source | What it shows | Date |
|---|---|---|
| School handbook | Visitors check in at the security office for a visitor’s pass; students may not have visitors during the school day; drills held during the year; video cameras; Anoka Hockey Arena is the evacuation site; a police liaison is listed | 2025–26 |
| District safety page | “A visitor management system that identifies a single point of entry to school buildings,” requiring “proper identification for entry during the school day”; the district “coordinates school resource police officers at 12 schools” and the page does not say which | Page dated September 16, 2026 |
| Niche | 81% of 42 student respondents agree they feel safe at their school | No date stated |
Procedures show what the school and district plan, not how often danger arises. We found no suspension or discipline figures, no school-climate survey beyond Niche’s 42 responses, and no news report of an incident at the school; our news search found no report naming Anoka High School (a 2021 report of a threat against an Anoka school names no school, so we did not use it), and the absence of a report is not proof that none occurred.
How do students perform on state assessments in reading and math?
Based on Niche, which says its figures come from Minnesota’s 2024–25 statewide tests, 47% of Anoka High School students were proficient in reading and 24% in math. Public School Review shows 54% in reading, labelled 2022 in its table, 31% in math, labelled 2023, and 41% in science, labelled 2022, so its figures are older than Niche’s and the two cannot be compared year for year.
| Measure | Anoka High School | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Proficient in reading | 47% | Niche, state 2024–25 testing |
| Proficient in math | 24% | Niche, state 2024–25 testing |
| Proficient in reading | 54% (state 51%) | Public School Review, labelled 2022 |
| Proficient in math | 31% (state 46%) | Public School Review, labelled 2023 |
| Proficient in science | 41% (state 41%) | Public School Review, labelled 2022 |
Math is the lower subject on both sites. Niche gives no state comparison; the state figures in brackets are Public School Review’s for the same rows. Public School Review also prints these figures under a “Quick Facts (26-27)” heading, so its own year labels disagree, and we found no growth figure. The state’s report card is a script application we could not read, so neither site could be checked against it.
Does the school offer distinct STEM programs, and how have teams placed in competition?
Based on the school’s STEAM program page, Anoka High School’s Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math offers a STEAM Certification Pathway of eight courses, from STEAM Foundations to a senior capstone or internship, with a makerspace in the library and STEAM-inspired electives open to every student. We found no competition placing for any Anoka High School team in robotics, cybersecurity, Science Olympiad or similar events; the club list names a Math League Team and Knowledge Bowl and gives no results.
| Strand | What the school states | Open to |
|---|---|---|
| Certification pathway | Eight courses from STEAM Foundations to Honors Design & Development A, B and C, or a three-trimester internship; STEAM certification on the transcript and a graduation medal | Students admitted by application |
| Electives | Engineering and Robotics, Digital Music Composition I & II, Dance Technique and Dance Company, College Honors Creative Problem Solving, Honors Arts Symposium, Intro. to Cyber Security | All Anoka High School students |
| Makerspace | In the library: 3D printing, laser cutting and etching, robotics, textiles, audio recording, digital video production, vinyl and sheet cutting | Classes, or students on their own |
| STEAM Expo | Pathway seniors present their work at an annual STEAM Expo | Pathway seniors |
The pathway is a magnet programme of the Northwest Suburban Integration School District: families apply through the district even when they live in the attendance area, and the program page gives two rounds for 2027–28, October 15 to December 15, 2026 and January 6 to March 11, 2027. We searched for FIRST, VEX, CyberPatriot, Science Olympiad, TSA, Math League and Knowledge Bowl records for the school and found none. The school’s STEAM Expo pages could not be read. A school post on a STEAM Showcase and Professional Review Night names capstone examples (a virtual and augmented reality tool for terraforming the moon, a redesign of artificial turf to decrease athletic injuries, a video journal of Minnesota pollinators) and a Wednesday, November 18 with no year, so we have not dated them.
What's the graduation rate, and how college-ready are graduates?
Based on Niche and Public School Review, Anoka High School’s graduation rate is 93%; Public School Review labels it 2023 and shows the state at 83.3%, and Niche gives no year. The school’s own news item says 589 graduates received diplomas at its 155th commencement on June 1, 2026. For college preparation the school lists AP courses, concurrent-enrollment classes with Anoka Technical College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, and Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) for Grades 10–12.
| Measure | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 93% | Niche, no year stated |
| Graduation rate | 93% (state 83.3%) | Public School Review, labelled 2023 |
| Diplomas conferred | 589 | School news, commencement of June 1, 2026 |
| AP enrollment | 15% | Niche, no year stated |
| Grade 11 testing | PSAT in October; ACT in April, during the school day | School registration page |
A graduation rate says how many finish, not how well prepared they are. We found no ACT averages, AP exam results, college-enrolment figures or remediation data for the school, so these figures show how many graduate and which college-level routes exist, not how students score.
How strong is it in robotics, engineering and hands-on problem solving?
Based on our review, robotics grades at Level 2 of 5 (2.0/5, Weak) and advanced manufacturing at Level 2 (2.0/5, Weak). The hands-on provision is concrete: the school lists Engineering and Robotics courses, a STEAM Mechanical Design Lab and a STEAM Digital Design Lab in its pathway, and a library makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, soldering equipment and audio production studios. We found no robotics team, no FIRST or VEX record and no course description.
| Strand | What the school lists | What we did not find |
|---|---|---|
| Robotics | Engineering and Robotics courses open to all students; robotics among the makerspace’s skills | A team, a club or a competition record |
| Mechanical design | A STEAM Mechanical Design Lab in the pathway | A course description |
| Digital fabrication | 3D printers, laser cutters, soldering equipment, vinyl and sheet cutting, used “with their classes or as an individual driven to develop new skills” | A named student project |
| Capstone | Honors Design & Development A, B and C, a capstone that “highlights their interests and connects to future career and educational goals” | A named capstone project in 2023–2026 |
The registration guide, which would say how many trimesters the Engineering and Robotics courses run and what students build in them, could not be read. A June 2021 newspaper report on the first pathway graduates names an engineering and robotics teacher among the staff; it predates the window we use for student work.
Does the school have a genuine STEM pathway, or just disconnected clubs, projects and competitions?
The school’s STEAM program page lays out a defined pathway rather than only clubs: the STEAM Certification Pathway is an eight-course sequence that ends in a senior capstone or an internship, with a STEAM Digital Portfolio Review and a presentation at the STEAM Expo, and completers receive a STEAM certification on the transcript and a graduation medal. The courses listed are design, digital communication, English and creative problem solving; none is named as computer science, AI or robotics.
| Step | Course, as the school lists it |
|---|---|
| 1 | STEAM Foundations |
| 2 | STEAM Digital Communication and Design |
| 3 | STEAM Digital Design Lab |
| 4 | STEAM Mechanical Design Lab |
| 5 | STEAM English 11: DIY Projects (or AP, a college-credit option) |
| 6 | College Honors Creative Problem Solving |
| 7 | STEAM English 12: Dynamic Storytelling (or a college-credit option) |
| 8 | STEAM Honors Design & Development A, B and C, or a three-trimester internship |
Apart from the two English courses and the senior capstone, the page does not place courses by grade. It gives no completer counts or outcome figures, so we cannot say how many students finish the pathway; the only cohort we found reported is the first graduating class, in a local newspaper in June 2021.
Does STEM translate into recognised qualifications, university preparation and credible next-step pathways?
The school’s pages name the routes: a STEAM certification and graduation medal for pathway completers, AP courses, concurrent-enrollment classes with Anoka Technical College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, articulated-credit career courses, and Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) for Grades 10–12. The program page names no outside body behind the STEAM certification.
| Route | What the school states | Page |
|---|---|---|
| STEAM pathway | Certification on the transcript, graduation medal and digital portfolio | STEAM program |
| Internship | Seniors may “work with an internship coordinator to find an appropriate paid employment opportunity” | STEAM program |
| AP | “Each AP test is less than $100”; tests are offered only in the spring | AP courses |
| Concurrent enrollment | College classes taught in high school by high school teachers, through a partnership with a named college (four are listed) | Registration |
| PSEO | Grades 10, 11 and 12, earning high school and college credit together | Registration |
| Testing | PSAT for Grade 11 in October; ACT in April, during the school day | Registration |
The pages describe routes, not results: we found no figures for how many credits students earn, how they score on AP exams, how many complete the pathway or where graduates enrol. Which concurrent-enrollment and AP classes run in a given year is in the registration guide, which we could not read; families should confirm with the colleges they are considering how credit transfers.
Which future-critical STEM fields is this school genuinely strong in—and which ones are major gaps?
Based on our review, none of the ten fields reaches the Developing band. The furthest developed are cybersecurity, robotics and advanced manufacturing, each a single elective, lab or makerspace at Weak (2.0/5); computer science, Earth systems and biotechnology sit at Weak (1.0/5); and AI & data science, clean energy, aerospace and battery storage are the major gaps, where we found nothing (0.0/5).
| Field | Score | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity & Digital Safety | 2.0/5 | Weak |
| Robotics & Autonomous Systems | 2.0/5 | Weak |
| Advanced Manufacturing | 2.0/5 | Weak |
| Computer Science & Computational Thinking | 1.0/5 | Weak |
| Earth Systems & Geospatial | 1.0/5 | Weak |
| Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology | 1.0/5 | Weak |
| AI & Data Science | 0.0/5 | Weak |
| Clean Energy & Climate Technology | 0.0/5 | Weak |
| Aerospace & Space Technology | 0.0/5 | Weak |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | 0.0/5 | Weak |
Will your child be ready for jobs that don’t exist yet?
Here’s what the evidence actually shows for Anoka High School — not what the brochure claims.
36/100 — Weak overall. Anoka’s furthest-developed provision is its Intro. to Cyber Security elective and its Engineering and Robotics courses, open to every student, set within an eight-course STEAM Certification Pathway that ends in a senior capstone or an internship in paid employment, beside a library makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, soldering equipment and audio production studios.
But: AI, clean energy, aerospace and battery storage are absent, and the six other graded fields are thin or lacking.
Best positioned forNone
Underdeveloped inAI & Data, Clean Energy, Aerospace
Future-critical exposure0/15 domains
Very strong
- None
Strong
- None
Limited
- None
Little / no pathway
- AI & Data
- Cybersecurity
- Robotics
- Clean Energy
- Computer Science
- Earth & Geospatial
- Aerospace
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Batteries
- Biotechnology
Less ideal for
Where the marketing exceeds the evidence
No computer science course identified in the pathway or among the electives the school lists.
Evidence seen
- The core mathematics courses on the registration page (HS Intermediate Algebra, HS Geometry, HS Algebra II) are the nearest provision
What’s missing
- No course in AI, machine learning or data science among the pathway courses, the electives the school lists or the registration pages we could read
- No coding, data or AI club: the club list names Math League Team and Knowledge Bowl as its quantitative activities
- The 2026–27 registration guide could not be read, so a course outside the pages we read cannot be ruled out
Curriculum
- Intro. to Cyber Security, listed by the school among the STEAM-inspired electives open to all students
Evidence seen
- A June 2021 newspaper report on the first STEAM graduating class names a graduate’s cybersecurity internship at Target (ABC Newspapers / Hometown Source)
What’s missing
- No cybersecurity club or competition record (such as CyberPatriot) found
- The course description and any sequence beyond the introduction could not be read: the registration guide was unreadable
- The internship report predates our 2023–2026 window and describes one student
Curriculum
- Engineering and Robotics courses, listed by the school among the STEAM-inspired electives open to all students
- Robotics among the skills used in the makerspace in the library, alongside 3D printing, laser cutting and soldering
What’s missing
- No robotics team or club on the school’s club list, and no FIRST, VEX or similar competition record found for the school
- No course description read, so the depth and sequence of the courses are not established
Evidence seen
- Earth Science and Chemistry among the core courses on the registration page, and the Honors Arts Symposium (currently The Chemistry of Art), are the nearest provision
What’s missing
- No energy, climate-technology or sustainability course, club, laboratory or competition record found
- The 2026–27 registration guide could not be read, so a course outside the pages we read cannot be ruled out
Curriculum
- Biology among the core courses on the registration page
- HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) on the school’s club list
What’s missing
- No biotechnology, genetics or laboratory-technique course found
- The club list gives names only: HOSA’s activities and results are not described
- No science-fair or Science Olympiad record found for the school
Creativity cannot be graded the way a course can. It can only be evidenced through what students made.
| Criterion | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art + technology | ||||
| Design | ||||
| Architecture | ||||
| Engineering design | ||||
| Media / digital production | ||||
| Maker learning | ||||
| Interdisciplinary projects |
Nothing found for
No student work was found evidencing these. For a school this well documented, an unrecorded programme is unlikely to be a large one.
What a family should ask about directly
- AI, clean energy, aerospace and battery storage have no record at all, cybersecurity, robotics and advanced manufacturing rest on a single elective or lab each, and computer science has no named course. Ask the counselling office for the 2026–27 course catalogue, which we could not read, and which technical electives run this year and how often.
- The pathway’s page says it prepares students for careers in computer science, and its eight courses name none. Ask what a student takes in computer science and whether any course carries AP or college credit in it.
- The STEAM pathway is a magnet programme of the Northwest Suburban Integration School District: families apply through the district even when they live in the attendance area, and the 2027–28 lottery runs in two rounds, October 15 to December 15, 2026 and January 6 to March 11, 2027. Ask how seats are assigned and whether the electives open to all are affected.
- Mathematics is the backbone of every field here. Niche, citing the 2024–25 state tests, reports 47% of students proficient in reading and 24% in math; Public School Review reports 31% in math, 54% in reading and 41% in science under older year labels. Ask for the school’s own current state-test results and what supports sit behind them.
- Some published material is dated: the pathway’s FAQ cites a 2010 to 2020 jobs projection, the STEAM Showcase post names a Wednesday, November 18 with no year, and the how-to-apply page still carries 2026–27 dates beside the 2027–28 ones. Ask which dates and events are current.
- The course catalogue, the state report card, the district’s older pathway documents, the STEAM Expo pages and a STEAM Showcase video could not be read. Grades therefore rest on the school’s STEAM, registration and club pages, district pages, one 2021 newspaper report and school-data aggregators, which is why confidence on every field is not higher.
| Domain | Evidence class | Key sources |
|---|---|---|
| AI & Data | None found | No AI, machine-learning or data-science course, club or competition record found on any page we could read; core mathematics courses (school registration page) are the nearest provision |
| Computer Science | School-reported | School STEAM program page (no computer science course named in the eight-course pathway); district course-description page (video game design elective); no AP computer science course and no computing competition found |
| Robotics | School-reported | School STEAM program page (Engineering and Robotics courses); school makerspace post (robotics among listed skills); school club list (no robotics club); no competition record found |
| Biotechnology | School-reported | School registration page (Biology); school club list (HOSA); no biotechnology course, science-fair or Science Olympiad record found |
| Clean Energy | None found | No energy coursework, club or competition record found; Earth Science and Chemistry (school registration page) are the nearest provision |
| Aerospace | None found | No aerospace or space-technology course, club or competition record found |
| Earth & Geospatial | School-reported | School registration page (Earth Science among the core courses); no geospatial or climate record found |
| Advanced Manufacturing | School-reported | School STEAM program page (STEAM Mechanical Design Lab; library makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, soldering equipment, vinyl and sheet cutting); no fabrication competition or course description read |
| Cybersecurity | School-reported | School STEAM program page (Intro. to Cyber Security elective); ABC Newspapers / Hometown Source, June 2021 (a graduate’s cybersecurity internship); no club or competition record found |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | None found | No coursework, club or competition record found |
Academics
The Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) at Anoka High School.
Here is how our students can earn college credit before they graduate, the STEAM Certification Pathway and the STEAM-inspired electives open to all of our students, and the counselors and staff who guide those choices.
Anoka High School
Our Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math offers a STEAM Certification Pathway for students exploring connections among the arts, sciences, engineering, and math, while building technology and computer skills.
- We run on trimesters: each trimester of a class equals .50 credit
- Students apply to the STEAM Certification Pathway through the Northwest Suburban Integration School District, including families who already live in our attendance area; seniors choose a three-trimester Honors Design and Development capstone or a three-trimester internship, and pathway completers receive a STEAM certification on their transcript and a graduation medal
- Advanced Placement courses are college-level courses; students in an AP class may take the AP test in the spring, and each AP test is less than $100
- Concurrent enrollment classes are college classes taught in high school by high school teachers, through partnerships with Anoka Technical College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) gives students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit
- Grade 11 students take the PSAT in October, and all Grade 11 students take the ACT in April, during the school day
- For the class of 2028 and beyond, a personal finance course will be required for graduation
STEAM Certification Pathway courses
STEAM-inspired electives open to all students
College-credit options
Counselors and STEAM staff
Jillian Luoma-Overstreet
Will Erickson
Kari Helmstetter
Thomas Hagerty
Renee Johnson
Katie Teresi
Amy Gardner
Colleen Neary
Ask about academics
Calendar
What is coming up, soonest first.
The dates on our calendar for the months ahead: no-school days, high school late starts, the end of the trimester, the STEAM magnet lottery rounds for 2027–28 and commencement. On a late-start day first period begins at 8:00 a.m. Ask below if you need a date confirmed before you plan around it.
October
November
December
January
March
June
Ask about the calendar
Our Story
One of the oldest and also one of the largest high schools in the state of Minnesota.
We are a caring community dedicated to excellence while fostering learning, leadership and respect. We were established in 1880 and have occupied four different buildings throughout the years, including our current home, and our enrollment is 2,349. Here is how we began, and the people who lead us.
Milestones
The years of 1853–1854 were the years of the first school in Anoka County, a private school; our history begins there.
Our first regular high school year closed on June 18, 1881, and the graduating class consisted of eight students.
A bond issue for a new high school passed in April, the corner stone was laid on September 24, and the new building cost $30,000. Classes were held in the downtown Commercial Hotel until it was completed in January 1905.
A tornado destroyed much of Main Street in Anoka on June 18, just missing us, and a newspaper reporter nicknamed one of our teams the Tornadoes; we later adopted the Tornado as our mascot.
Construction of a new building was completed in September, and we opened with an enrollment of 848 students.
Classes began at 3939 7th Avenue, our current location; in 1971, the last year in the old building, enrollment had grown to 2,082 students.
We named the first class of our Hall of Fame on September 9.
Leadership
Mike Farley
Eric Lakanen
Shannon Madison
Amy Pelkey
Tung Pham
Ask about our story
News
News from Anoka High School.
Recent stories from our home page and news page, newest first. The first three were published through the district’s newsroom.
Attend to Achieve: Families can support student success, consider the impact of school attendance
Research shows that missing 10 percent of school negatively affects a student’s academic performance, which is about two days a month. Students who attend school 95% of the time are more likely to graduate on time and to do better in reading and math. If your child will miss school, please contact the office as soon as possible.
High school students and families can plan with “Financing Your Future” event Oct. 13
Our students and families are invited to Financing Your Future on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the Andover High School auditorium and library. The event is free; career and college specialists from each Anoka-Hennepin high school lead sessions on scholarships and on lowering the cost of college, and families of seniors can join a hands-on FAFSA help session.
Former Anoka High School boys hockey coach inducted into MHCA Hall of Fame
Greg Rajanen spent six seasons (1988–1994) as head coach of our Tornadoes, finishing with a record of 92-63-2, and led us to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament and a conference championship in 1990. He was inducted into the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame and honored at the Minnesota Wild preseason game on Friday, September 25.
Anoka Class of 2026 confers 589 diplomas in traditional ceremony at historic Goodrich Field
Our 155th annual commencement took place on June 1 at Goodrich Field in downtown Anoka, where 589 graduates received diplomas. Our band and a student choral quartet performed, and seniors gave the featured speeches and the student reflection.
Ask about the news
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