Aaron Heckmann

1 week ago | hometownsource.com | Aaron Heckmann

The Forest Lake school board, led by board chair Curt Rebelein Jr., has appeared to walk back on its contentious proposed policy changes regarding student attire and student-led interest groups after receiving some community backlash. That includes overflowing board meetings, an online petition with over 1,450 community signatures and a student protest in the form of a walkout at the high school on Friday, May 23.

2 weeks ago | hometownsource.com | Aaron Heckmann

When it comes to this year’s National History Day projects, Chris Stewart, a social studies teacher and the co-coordinator for the program at North Lakes Academy, said there is one student in particular who has stood out to him in terms of work ethic since students started their projects in September. That student is junior Allisha Enger. kAm“x E9:?< E92E @7 6G6CJ@?6 :?

3 weeks ago | hometownsource.com | Aaron Heckmann

Forest Lake students staged a walkout at the high school to protest proposed policy changes by the school board. A large group of students left school early at 1 p.m. today before gathering at the Highway 61 overpass to oppose the board’s consideration of removing student interest groups at the middle school and requiring high school groups to have 10 students or 1% of the student body in order to exist.

3 weeks ago | hometownsource.com | Aaron Heckmann

Shannon Peterson, executive director at Lakes International Language Academy, recently won the 2025 Minnesota Charter School Leadership Award on Thursday, May 8 at the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools’ annual awards luncheon. “It was just amazing to be in that room full of people, and it felt like the Academy Awards for charter leaders,” Peterson said, later adding, “It was thrilling [and] such an honor.”kAm$96 7@F?5 @FE E92E D96 925 366?

4 weeks ago | hometownsource.com | Aaron Heckmann

During its final meeting of the school year on May 15, the school district’s policy committee made two recommendations to the board regarding proposed policy 1801: Remove the stipulation that groups must have 10 students or 1% percent of the student body, and allow student-interest groups to exist at the middle school. But those changes might not be a part of the final policy as it goes to the school board on May 29 for a first reading.