Columbia Heights High School enters its second century of service this year, and the city’s schools enter their 132nd year of educating the community’s young people.
This past school year, the school district went through one of its most challenging years in that long span of service when ICE agents descended on Columbia Heights, which has a large Spanish-speaking population.
Zena Stenvik, the district’s Superintendent, became a leader in the effort to oppose the ICE tactics, often walking a “patrol” to ensure the district’s students were safe and protected.
The new school year began recently, and the district did what it could through open houses and other welcoming activities to try and ameliorate the damage done by the federal intrusion.
“The kids are excited. We had a truly great start to the school year. Our enrollment has rebounded to a great degree,” Stenvik said.
The district’s enrollment was 3,400 before the ICE raids, and it is now back to 3,300.
Stenvik noted that a 50-year time capsule was opened this year in Columbia Heights, and schoolchildren were asked their views on the next 50 years.
“They said they were concerned about AI (artificial intelligence), or as one child put it, ‘the robots taking over.’ And they said they hoped the environment would be stable and healthy.”
For the school system, the environment is always a top priority, Stenvik said. “Every one of our buildings has solar panels. Every school has a recycling and composting program.”
And at Valley View Elementary, a new geothermal well system is being constructed that will help heat and cool the building.
Stenvik said her list of goals for the future includes continuing the connectedness and communication that was established during Operation Metro Surge. “We proved that we could come together and support each other. We were strong, and I hope we stay that way.”
Also on her list of goals for the next century is education that is “timeless.” “We want to emphasize critical thinking. I hope that 100 years from now, children can still express themselves through art.”
In this changing world, Stenvik said the schools should continue to humanize children, families and staff.
“I hope we never lose our strong sense of humanity. Tech growth and evolving technology will bring us unimaginable things. It will be amazing. But we need to allow our children to be children. It’s the heart of what we do.”