Spring 2026
The Community’s Guide to the District
Hopkins Schools graduation rate climbs
Hopkins Public Schools closed the 2024-25 school year with a graduation rate of 86%, up from 84.6% the year before and above the Minnesota state average of 84.9%. The increase reflects the dedication of students, families, and staff committed to ensuring every learner reaches the finish line.
Two Hopkins teachers named Minnesota Teacher of the Year finalists
Hopkins Public Schools is proud to announce that two Hopkins teachers are finalists for the 2026 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award — Amy Phung, a kindergarten teacher at Meadowbrook Elementary (left), and Sher Unruh-Friesen, a COMPASS special education teacher at Glen Lake Elementary (right). We are proud of these outstanding educators and the care they bring to their students every day. The winner will be announced on May 3.
Hopkins Schools puts $140 million bond to work
Left: A rendering of the reimagined Hopkins High School entrance. Right: Possible design for North Middle School's remodeled space.
Taxpayers approved a $140 million bond referendum in November’s election that will allow Hopkins Public Schools to modernize and improve school facilities across the district. That vote of confidence set significant changes in motion, and the work is now underway. Phase I focuses on four buildings: Hopkins High School, North Middle School, Gatewood Elementary, and Eisenhower Elementary. Planning and design work is already in motion. Schematic design was completed earlier this year, establishing general floor plans and the overall approach for each project. Design development began in March, with a goal of finalizing specifications by November. Major construction on Phase I projects is expected to begin in early 2027 and wrap up later that year, with some larger builds extending into 2028. Including student and community voice As designs for new spaces take shape, the people who know these buildings best are helping to determine what they become. Design Advisory Teams, made up of teachers, support staff, building leadership, and students who use the spaces every day, work directly with project architects to offer practical guidance and ground the process in school needs.
Student voice has been an important part of the process, too. High school students participated in a gallery walk, reviewing design concepts and sharing what ideas they liked and disliked. Elementary students were asked questions like, “If you had a magic wand, what is one thing you'd change about your school?” and “What part of your school do you love and why do you love it?” In other words, the design process is shaped not just by blueprints and budgets, but by the voices of the people who will learn and work in these spaces for years to come. North Middle School: Spaces that meet students where they are The work planned at North Middle School is designed with one question at the center: what does it mean for a middle schooler to feel truly seen at school? For sixth graders, the transition into middle school is about far more than academics. The social-emotional side of learning shapes everything else. Principal Julius Eromosele said their Pathfinder Project addresses both dimensions at once. A Pathfinder Project is a targeted update to a small part of a school, transforming it into a space that better supports collaboration, engagement, and modern teaching and learning. Hopkins Schools puts $140 million bond to work, inside
DATES IN THE COMMUNITY
Mainstreet Day Arts & Craft Fair
Hopkins High School Commencement
Now hosted by Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF), this growing event welcomes more than 200 vendors offering arts and crafts.
Celebrate the Class of 2026 as they receive their diplomas. Tickets required.
9 a.m. - 4 p.m., May 16 Downtown Hopkins
tinyurl.com/3x8evcn2
12 p.m., June 10 Roy Wilkins Auditorium
HopkinsSchools.org/Graduation