​For 20 years, Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) has intricately woven itself into its member’s districts. Guided by three goals – create culturally inclusive learning environments; create inter-district interactions that improve intercultural competency and increase student achievement; and assist students to be prepared for post-secondary success – NWSISD works with its member districts to make programs available to all students living in the seven-member school district consortium.

Northwest Suburban Integration School District celebrates 20 years of service

Serving the school districts of Anoka-Hennepin, Brooklyn Center, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose, ISD728 (Elk River | Otsego | Rogers | Zimmerman), Fridley, Osseo, and Rockford, NWSISD is governed by a Joint Powers Board, composed of one board member from each district. One of the main focuses of NWSISD is connecting students from across the consortium to twenty-seven PreK4 – grade 12 magnet schools and programs with the added benefit of transportation. 

NWSISD continuously works with schools and families to improve student achievement through inter-district collaboration, supporting the value of cultural diversity in schools, and by building partnerships in the community. We do this by offering various programs designed to provide leadership training and opportunities to students in middle and high school including Essence, Step-Up Mentorship, AVID, and Educators Rising. Our Multicultural Resource Center provides resources and lends materials for all content areas and grades that are inclusive of cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity. 

We also offer ongoing learning opportunities for all staff in our seven member districts. Our programs and services promote integrated learning environments, enhanced diversity, and cultural awareness through a combination of workshops, field trips, and collaborative professional learning communities to exchange ideas and engage in professional dialogue.

NWSISD has experienced many changes throughout its 20 year history and has proven to be flexible in meeting the needs of the ever-changing landscape of its member districts. Northwest Suburban Integration School District continues to envision a global community learning and growing together, by providing students, parents, and staff educational opportunities that are multicultural, diverse and promote racial integration.

Creation and timeline of NWSISD

Created in 2001 in response to the State of Minnesota’s Desegregation Rule, Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) emerged because Brooklyn Center and Osseo Area school districts were identified as "racially isolated" as defined by the Desegregation Rule. A racially isolated school district is defined by law as "a district where the district-wide enrollment of protected students exceeds the enrollment of protected students of an adjoining district by more than 20 percentage points."  

Timeline of origin:

• February 2001 – Joint Powers Agreement was written with the original districts of Anoka-Hennepin, Brooklyn Center, Fridley and Osseo and meetings were held in March, April and May with member Superintendents or appointed staff to develop the foundation of the district.
  
• August 1, 2001 - NWSDD was officially assigned district number 6078 by MN Dept of CFL (Children, Families and Learning).
  
• August 17, 2001 – Osseo Area Schools was declared a racially isolated district, and NWSDD must extend its integration efforts to include Buffalo, Elk River and Rockford School Districts. 
  
• November 2001 - After discussions with Buffalo, Elk River and Rockford school districts and approval by their respective boards, the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) was amended to include the additional districts.
  
• November 2001 - The MN Dept of CFL also recommended that the district be renamed Integration rather than Desegregation. NWSISD district’s amended JPA formally recognized all seven districts as original members and the district name was changed accordingly.
  
• Mounds View District joined the collaborative in 2010 and withdrew in 2017.
  

To learn more about Northwest Suburban Integration School District and its programs, explore our website at www.nws.k12.mn.us.