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“Academic Arts is what we were needing for our child.”

— AAHS Parent

“A beautiful community of teachers, students, and parents working together to create the best learning experience possible.”

— AAHS Parent

“Super good school, super great environment! Teachers are absolutely fantastic, and the work is really great.”

— TOTTY - CLASS OF 2018

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September 15, 2026 Board Meeting @5PM Room 109

August 18, 2026 Board Meeting @5pm in Room 109- RESCHEDULED TO AUGUST 25, 2026 DUE TO QUROM

Special Board Meeting, July 6, 2026 @ 1130AM- Google Meets

June Board Meeting rescheduled to June 23, 2026 @ 5PM in Room 109

AHA Board Outcomes 2026

May Board Meeting, May 19, 2026 @ 5PM in Room 109

AHA Board Elections- Live May 19, 2026 8:00AM-430PM: Vote HERE

Academic Arts High School Board Elections will be held May 19, 2026

2026 ACADEMIC ARTS BOARD CANDIDATES

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Located in West St. Paul, MN

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Student Videos

Hey! Hey You! Have you gotten your AHA gear yet? Click on the link in our bio to check out our online school store to grab a hoodie, sweatshirt, t-shirt, or tank! Tell your friends and tell your family to help support our school programming by wearing AHA merch! Oye, oye tu! Ya obtuviste tu vestimenta de AHA? Haga clic en el enlace que se encuentra en nuestra biografía escolar en nuestra tienda virtual, puedes comprar tu sudadera, tu playera, camisetas o camisetas sin mangas! Dígale a sus amigos y familiares para que nos ayuden a continuar apoyando nuestro programa escolar al mismo tiempo que usas nuestra mercancía AHA! #aha #ahamoment #comehaveanahamoment #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #environmentallearning #projectbasedlearning #schoolstore #schoolpride #schoolmerch #AHAgear

Check out what some of our students are doing today for AHA day! Students, share what you're doing today for AHA day by tagging us with the hashtag, #ahaday to be featured in our stories! Es dia AHA, echa un vistazo a lo que nuestros estudiantes estaran haciendo durante el dia AHA! A nuestros estudiantes comparte que haras el dia de hoy etiquetandonos con un simbolo de #ahaday y ser destacado en nuestas historias! #aha #ahamoment #academicarts #ahaday #charterschool #mncharterschool #experientiallearning

Hello! I'm Amy, and this is my first year at AAHS. I am extremely happy to be here and just want to share a few things about myself! Outside of school, I am both an artist and a School Psychology graduate student. In addition to that, my interests include The Body Positive Movement (if you don't know what that is feel free to ask!), tattoos, my sweet angel baby dogs, and anything sweet. One quirky little fact about me is that I collect teacups (including the one I have tattooed onto my arm with the lilacs and butterfly lol). Thanks for looking! I hope to meet you all in person soon! Thank you for sharing, Amy! Hola! Me llamo Amy, este es mi primer año en nuestra escuela de Artes Académicas. Me siento muy feliz de estar aquí y deseo compartir con ustedes algunos detalles sobre mi. Cuando no estoy en la escuela, soy una artista y estudiante graduada en Psicología Escolar. En adición a eso, mis intereses incluyen el Movimiento Positivo del Cuerpo (MPC) (si no sabe lo que es por favor no dude en preguntarme!) tatuajes, mis dulces angelitos, mis perros, y todo lo que es dulce. Un dato particular sobre mi persona es me gusta coleccionar tazas (incluyendo una que me hice un tatuaje en el brazo con mariposas y flores lilas jaja) Gracias por leer esta información! Espero poder conocerlos pronto en persona! ¡Gracias por compartir Amy! #aha #ahamoment #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #paraprofessional #meetthestaff

We've officially been in virtual learning for one year now! Staying home and practicing social distancing means that a lot of us are dealing with boredom. Sarah the Para has been beating the Covid boredom by reading and trying out new authors and books! Today she's giving you some Young Adult recommendations by BIPOC authors! Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas Legendborn by Tracy Deonn Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim Sometimes books can be a bit expensive. A great place to get new books is using the local library! The library doesn't just have books but also manga, comics, magazines, movies, video games, and more! You can download audiobooks and e-books right to your phone or tablet. Please reach out to a staff member if you need more information on how to access your local library. Oficialmente hemos realizado el aprendizaje virtual por un año! Al estar en nuestra casa practicando distancia social, significa que muchos de nosotros podemos estar lidiando con el aburrimiento. Sarah una de nuestras Paraprofesionales, ha combatido el aburrimiento durante el covid mediante la lectura explorando nuevos autores y libros! El día de hoy ella desea compartir con ustedes unas recomendaciones para jóvenes adultos relacionadas con BIPOC y sus autores! En ocasiones los libros pueden ser costosos. Un lugar para obtener libros nuevos es hacer uso de la librería local! La librería o biblioteca no solo tiene libros sino que también cuentan con una variedad de historietas, libros japoneses, revistas, películas, videojuegos y mucho más. Otra alternativa es descargar libros audibles o electrónicos a tu teléfono celular o tableta. Favor de solicitar ayuda a un miembro del personal escolar si necesita más información en cómo tener acceso a su librería/biblioteca local. #aha #ahamoment #amplifyingbipocvoices #bipocauthors #reading #bookworm #concreterose #spinthedawn #elatsoe #legendborn #locallibrary #charterschool #mncharterschool

Happy Friday! There is no school today as our staff is in professional development training! Have a wonderful weekend! Feliz Viernes! No habrá clases el dia de hoy ya que nuestro personal escolar estará en un entrenamiento para el desarrollo profesional! ¡Que tengan un buen fin de semana! #aha #academicarts #charterschool #minnesotacharterschool #environmentaleducation #projectbasedlearning

Hello AAHS Families! We wanted to quickly update you on our plans for the graduating Class of 2021 and our graduation ceremony on June 10, 2021. At this time, Academic Arts plans to offer an in-person, socially distanced graduation ceremony for our seniors. With our school moving into Phase 2, we feel this is a safe option for our seniors and their families if we follow all COVID-19 protocols. Our Graduation Committee is exploring a few in person options including the Wellstone Center and the West Saint Paul Dome. Our goal for our seniors is to bring back our AAHS graduation traditions in the safest way possible. Please stay tuned for updates as our graduation plans develop! Be well, AAHS TPS

Did you know that our bodies have built-in alarm systems that send off stress hormones like cortisol when we perceive danger? These hormones exist to protect us and cause short-term physical changes that allow you to stay focused and alert until things are under control. Imagine if your alarm system was going off constantly and the impact that would have on your body. Chronic stress happens when these changes are prolonged or constant and can have a large negative effect on your mental and physical health. Here at Academic Arts we are dedicated to educating on the importance of mental health and we have implemented AHA Days each Wednesday. AHA Days are a time for students and staff to model ways in which they care for their mental health by Being Mindful, Being Active, Being Adventurous, or Being Creative. For more tips on ways to care for your mental health check out https://www.mhanational.org/31-tips-boost-your-mental-health.

It’s Social Worker Appreciation week and we are so lucky to have Mallery at Academic Arts!!! #socialworkerappreciation #aha #ahamoment #socialworker

Have you snagged your AHA gear yet? Click on the link in our bio to check out our online school store to grab a hoodie, sweatshirt, t-shirt, or tank! Tell your friends and tell your family to help support our school programming by wearing AHA merch! Ya obtuviste tu vestimenta de AHA? Haga clic en el enlace que se encuentra en nuestra biografía escolar en nuestra tienda virtual, puedes comprar tu sudadera, tu playera, camisetas o camisetas sin mangas! Dígale a sus amigos y familiares para que nos ayuden a continuar apoyando nuestro programa escolar al mismo tiempo que usas nuestra mercancía AHA! #aha #ahamoment #comehaveanahamoment #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #environmentallearning #projectbasedlearning #schoolstore #schoolpride #schoolmerch #AHAgear

Friendly Reminder! There will be no school on Friday, March 12 as our staff will be in professional development training! #aha #academicarts #charterschool #minnesotacharterschool #environmentaleducation #projectbasedlearning

Happy Monday! Today we are meeting Jinan, one of our paraprofessionals at AAHS. Let's hear what she has to say... I love being active especially in the summer. Three years ago, right before I married my hubby Tony, he got me interested in playing golf. I was fortunate enough to safely visit my mom and step dad in Arizona last week. We played golf at a course near my moms house, and it was the first time I played all 18 holes and did not lose a BALL!!! Well I know I'm jealous of the warm weather Jinan got to enjoy. Thanks for sharing!! ¡Feliz Lunes! Hoy estaremos conociendo a Jinan, una de nuestras paraprofesionales en nuestra escuela de Artes Académicas. Veamos lo que ella tiene que decir! Me gusta ser una persona activa especialmente durante el verano. Hace tres años atrás, antes de casarme con mi esposo Tony, logró que me interesara por el golf. Tuve la oportunidad de visitar de forma segura a mi mama y mi padrastro en Arizona la semana pasada. Jugamos golf en un campo cerca de la casa de mi mama, fue la primera vez que hice 18 hoyos y no perdí una bola!!!! Bueno, sé que siento celos del clima más agradable que Jinan pudo disfrutar. Gracias por compartir con nosotros tu historia!! #aha #academicarts #meetthestaff #charterschool #mncharterschool #paraprofessional #golf #highschool

Happy Friday! Today we will be hearing from Mari, our Cultural Liaison and learning more about her roots in Puerto Rico and why her father and grandfather are her inspiration. "I am from Puerto Rico and I have two amazing men that are my inspiration: my father and my grandfather. My grandfather's roots are in Spain and my grandmother is a Native Indigenous better known as a Tainos. My grandpa used to work for a man cutting trees but one day his boss decided to purchase a group of human beings sadly known as slaves. My grandfather did not support this idea and so he talked to his boss and said he wanted to quit his job but he also needed a favor from him. His boss respected my grandfather and he agreed so he asked my grandpa: What favor do you need? My grandfather said that he had noticed that his boss had purchased a group of people and he did not agree with this behavior. He also noticed a beautiful Native Indigenous woman in that group and thought that she was beautiful and wanted love to take her with him and give her a better life. My grandpa said that he fell in love immediately with this 4' 9" woman so he asked her if she wanted to go with him and have a better life, she said yes!!!!!!! It was love at first sight and that is how my father came to this world. My father considered himself a black man and I am so proud of him and his legacy. My parents are an interesting mix as well. My father is black and indigenous and my mother is French. Here I am, this Puerto Rican woman, very proud of her ethnicity and her roots!" Thank you for sharing your story, Mari!! #aha #ahamoment #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #puertorican #puertorico #familyheritage #amplifyingbipocvoices

Hello AAHS Parents and Students! Quarter 4 starts on April 12th and is coming up quickly. We have good news! We will be moving to Phase 2 for the last quarter of school. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? In a nutshell, this means that students will continue to learn at a distance, but will have an opportunity each week to sign up for 1-2 hour time slots to work with teachers or other staff members either 1:1 or in groups of up to 4. This is a slow phase toward our goal of returning to “normal,” and AAHS is committed to moving forward (and not backward!) as we make the best decisions we can for our community. More details to come. Stay tuned! If you have any questions or concerns, please send an email to covid@academicarts.org Have a beautiful weekend and as always, stay safe! Your AAHS Staff ¡Saludos Padres y Estudiantes de AAHS! El 4to cuatrimestre que comienza el 12 de Abril ya se acerca. ¡Tenemos buenas noticias! Estaremos cambiando a la Fase 2 en nuestro último cuatrimestre del año escolar. ¿QUÉ SIGNIFICA ESTO? En otras palabras, esto significa que los estudiantes continuarán aprendiendo a distancia, pero ofreceremos la oportunidad de estudiar de 1-2 horas ya sea 1 a 1 con un maestro o personal escolar o en grupos pequeños con un máximo de 4 personas y esto sería en persona. Esto será una fase lenta con el objetivo de regresar a nuestra "normalidad" y nuestra escuela de AAHS está comprometida en moverse hacia el futuro (no hacia atras) asi como tomamos las mejores decisiones que podamos para nuestra comunidad. Más detalles próximamente. Manténgase al tanto!!! Si tiene alguna pregunta o duda favor de comunicarse mediante correo electrónico a la dirección: covid@academicarts.org Que tengan un buen fin de semana y como siempre manténganse seguros y protegidos! Cordialmente, El Personal de AAHS! #aha #ahamoment #covidannouncement #learningplan #charterschool #mncharterschool #announcement #schoolannouncement

Check out what some of our students are doing today for AHA day! Students, share what you're doing today for AHA day by tagging us with the hashtag, #ahaday to be featured in our stories! Es dia AHA, echa un vistazo a lo que nuestros estudiantes estaran haciendo durante el dia AHA! A nuestros estudiantes comparte que haras el dia de hoy etiquetandonos con un simbolo de #ahaday y ser destacado en nuestas historias! #aha #ahamoment #academicarts #ahaday #environmentallearning #projectbasedlearning #mncharterschool #charterschool #highschool

Happy Monday! Today, we are meeting one of our paraprofessionals, Sam! Let's see what Sam has to say... Most people know I'm a musician, and I really miss playing shows. Here's a photo of me playing with my old band Naptaker several years ago and looking REALLY cool. Something most people probably don't know about me is that I really like designing board games. My latest project is an abstract strategy game called Castile. Similar to games like Chess and Hive, each player tries to either capture an opponent's Lord piece or be the first to reach the red "Castle" tile at the top of the board with their own Lord piece. Other game pieces include the Soldier, Cavalry, Assassin, Envoy, and Spy. Each one moves across the board in a unique way and can be a powerful tool in the right hands. Wow, very cool, Sam! Thank you for sharing! ¡Feliz Lunes! Hoy estaremos conociendo a uno de nuestros profesionales, Sam! Veamos que tiene que decir... La mayoría de las personas que me conocen saben que soy músico, y realmente extraño mucho participar en actividades y espectáculos. Aquí comparto una foto con ustedes de la banda en la cual participo y se llama Naptaker, estoy en ella hace algunos años y es realmente interesante. Algo que la mayoría de las personas no saben o conocen de mi es que me gusta diseñar juegos de mesa. Mi más reciente creación es un juego abstracto llamado Castilla. Es muy parecido a los juegos de Ajedrez y Colmena, cada jugador intenta capturar un señor de la pieza del equipo opuesto o intentar llegar primero a la "Casilla" roja en el tope del juego con su pieza de señor. Otras piezas del juego incluye un soldado, calvario, un asesino, un envidioso y un espía. Cada uno debe moverse de forma cruzada y única en en tablero y puede ser un arma muy poderosa en las manos correctas. Increíble Sam! ¡Gracias por compartir esta información con nosotros! #aha #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #musician #gamedesign #meetthestaff #paraprofessional #highschool

This week we are hearing from one of our paraprofessionals, Michael, to learn about someone in his life who has supported him and helped him become the leader he is today! "I wanted to give a shout out to my Queen... My mother who inspires me to be the best I can be... My business manager who wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of me cause there are some real bad people out in the world... The very first person I shared a heartbeat with... Never missed a game and the most supportive on and off the court... You are my strength, my rock and my world... Thank you for who you are and the person you made me out to be...🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️❤️❤️💯💯💯" - Michael Reed Thank you, Michael! Durante esta semana estaremos escuchando de un Paraprofesional de nuestra escuela, Michael, y aprenderemos como una persona ha sido de gran apoyo y le ha ayudado durante toda su vida a convertirse en el Líder que es el día de hoy! "Deseo reconocer públicamente a mi Reina... Mi madre, quien me ha inspirado a ser el ser humano que soy y dar lo mejor de mi... Ella siempre ha sido mi manejadora de negocios y no permitió que nadie tomara ventaja sobre mi, ya que existen persona con malas intenciones en este mundo... Ella fue la primera persona con la cual comparti el latido de mi corazón por primera vez, nunca se perdió uno de mis juegos de baloncesto y siempre fue mi apoyo en la cancha y fuera de ella... Ella es mi fuerza, mi roca y mi mundo entero...gracias por ser quien eres y por hacer de mí la persona que soy hoy en día! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️❤️❤️💯💯💯" - Michael Reed Gracias, Michael! #blackhistorymonth #aha #ahamoment #charterschool #mncharterschool #amplifyingbipocvoices

Hey Friends, Mallery here. I'd like to bring a mindfulness practice about R.E.S.T created by Rashid Hughes. Take 10 minutes for yourself today! Be well. 1. Find a comfortable posture of your choice. This could be a sitting posture, standing, or lying down. 2. If you choose to keep your eyes open, let your gaze rest, lowered on a point in front of you. If you choose to keep your eyes closed, rest your eyelids comfortably. 3. Set your intention toward relaxing and effortlessness. 4. Whenever you notice yourself shifting into “doing” or “thinking,” simply return back to your original intention, and begin again. 5. Relax your attention. Release any fixation that you might have on any object. Be as ordinary and natural as possible. If you notice that your attention becomes fixated or distracted, simply relax. 6. Exhale all striving. Empty yourself of any effort toward achieving a particular outcome or result. Remain open and accepting to the present moment. Let your experience be as it is. 7. Sense the silence. Surrender all attachment to what you notice, and feel the intuitive sense of silence within you. Be aware of the silence and feel the vastness of the silence. 8. Tune in to awareness. Recognize that you are naturally aware, and you are conscious of this awareness. Trust this effortless knowing and the silence. There’s nothing to do, and nowhere to go. Just rest. 9. When you are ready to end the practice, gently bring your attention to your surroundings and invite simple movements to your body. #aha #ahamoment #charterschool #minnesotacharterschool #blackhistorymonth #amplifyingbipocvoices #mindfulness #selfcare

Last Day of Open House! Find out what makes us different at our Open House today, February 25! We are offering Virtual and In-Person tours of our school. Schedule your tour through the link in our bio and come have an AHA Moment at Academic Arts High School! Ultimo dia de Casa Abierta !! Descubra que nos hace diferente durante nuestra Casa Abierta Hoy 25 de Febrero! Estamos ofreciendo Recoridos Virtuales y en persona de nuestra escuela. ¡Programe su recorrido virtual mediante el enlace que se encuentra en nuestra página principal y tenga un momento AHA en nuestra escuela de Artes Academicas! #aha #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #highschool #environmentaleducation #projectbasedlearning #ahamoment #openhouse #schoolopenhouse #virtualtour #inpersontour

Check out what some of our students are doing today for AHA day! Students, share what you're doing today for AHA day by tagging us with the hashtag, #ahaday to be featured in our stories! Es dia AHA, echa un vistazo a lo que nuestros estudiantes estaran haciendo durante el dia AHA! A nuestros estudiantes comparte que haras el dia de hoy etiquetandonos con un simbolo de #ahaday y ser destacado en nuestas historias! #aha #ahamoment #academicarts #ahaday #environmentallearning #projectbasedlearning #mncharterschool #charterschool #highschool

Open House Continues Today! Find out what makes us different at our Open House today, February 24 through Thursday, February 25! We are offering Virtual and In-Person tours of our school. Schedule your tour through the link in our bio and come have an AHA Moment at Academic Arts High School! Nuestra Actividad de Casa Abierta continua hoy! Descubra que nos hace diferentes durante nuestra Casa Abierta hoy 24 de Febrero al Jueves 25 de Febrero! Estamos ofreciendo Recoridos Virtuales y en persona de nuestra escuela. ¡Programe su recorrido virtual mediante el enlace que se encuentra en nuestra página principal y tenga un momento AHA en nuestra escuela de Artes Academicas! #aha #academicarts #charterschool #mncharterschool #highschool #environmentaleducation #projectbasedlearning #ahamoment #openhouse #schoolopenhouse #virtualtour #inpersontour

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS?

120 students (enrollment cap), 24 staff members
- Smaller school, smaller classes
Safe, supportive community
- We provide a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
Project-based learning component
Environmental education component
Credit Recovery
Restorative practices
Off-campus lunch option