Bloomington Transition Center

Bloomington Living Hope Lutheran School is one Christian school on two campuses, our Bloomington campus on Bloomington Ferry Road and the Living Hope campus in Shakopee, and this year we celebrate 75 years. We teach children from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Pre-K mixes play-based, student-led and teacher-directed lessons with movement and music, and families choose between two three-day schedules. The arts start early. All students perform in a play each year, with separate productions for kindergarten, grades 1 to 4 and grades 5 to 8. Piano lessons are available from grade 2, band from grade 5, and an auditioned choir sings four-part harmony at events around the Twin Cities. Students in grades 5 to 8 compete in forensics speech meets and Math Bowl, and grades 3 to 8 in the spelling bee. Our Eagles teams play in the Twin Cities Lutheran Grade School Athletic League for grades 5 to 8: soccer, cross-country, basketball, bowling and track for boys, and volleyball, cross-country, basketball, cheerleading, bowling and track for girls. Recess intramurals are open to everyone. Before and after school care runs at both campuses for $6 an hour.

Choice Academy gives Bloomington Public Schools students ages 17–21 another route to a high school diploma. Some students enter after falling behind on credits; others return to school after leaving or need an alternative setting that fits their circumstances. The full-time, in-person program centers on credit recovery and individual graduation goals. Each student works from a Student Learning Plan that identifies the credits still needed to graduate. Students move through coursework at their own pace, using online lessons and paper materials when requested, while educators and advisors help them monitor progress. Choice Academy also connects graduation planning with career skills, so students can leave with a plan for what comes next. The program operates at 8800 Queen Avenue South, Suite 318, in Bloomington, with a school calendar that can differ from the district calendar. Families can contact the Choice Academy secretary for intake information.

John F. Kennedy High School is home of the Eagles, one of the high schools of Bloomington Public Schools, on Nicollet Avenue in Bloomington. We set high expectations for students in grades 9 to 12 and back them with school-wide support aimed at college and other post-secondary goals. Kennedy is one of the district sites that offers AVID, a program that builds a college-going culture, and AVID and SPARCSS are also available as elective classes for students who want extra support along a college pathway. District Gifted and Talented programming runs through 10th grade. Students who qualify receive special education through an IEP in the least restrictive environment, with transition and work experience services, and students with a disability who do not qualify for special education can receive accommodations through a 504 plan. Outside class, our Activities Department runs athletics, fine arts and extracurriculars, including the Kennedy Theatre Company musical and a weekly student news show. The school houses an Activity Center shared with the community. Breakfast and lunch are free to every student each school day under Minnesota's Free School Meals Program.