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Old Schools

The picture of the school on the mural is the old school house in District No. 2 was organized in 1856. The Board and residents built the school which was the second one built in Anoka County. The original school was located across from where the WCCO Radio transmitter station now stands. In 1876 a new brick school, the one you see on the mural, was built at the present intersection of Crooked Lake Boulevard and Coon Rapids Boulevard. Two other schools were built in Anoka Township (now Coon Rapids) in the late 1800's. District No. 15 located at the intersections of Foley Boulevard and East River Boulevard and District No. 50 located on Northdale Boulevard across from where the present Sand Creek Park is now located. There were no paved roads in the early years, and transportation to and from school was by foot. Several miles were covered each way as pupils walked the dirt trails. The three districts in Anoka Township plus one from the Blaine area consolidated in 1920 to form consolidated School District No. 2, located where the former L.O. Jacob School now stands.

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I do enjoy having the internet to glean more information about the history of my family.  I can really get lost searching for information.  My family went to District 50 near their farm house.  Even moving the house across the field to be closer for the kids to walk.  They also attended L. O. Jacob School.  Most of my family went to the Anoka High School and graduated from there. 

SORTEBERG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CELEBRATION EVENT

Sorteberg Elementary School held its school closing celebration event on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Listed in this photo album are photos taken at the event. Click here to read more school memories in the A-H Newsroom.

History
In early 1959, the pupulation in the Anoka-Hennepin area continued to increase and with it came exploseive rises in school enrollment that showed no signs of slowing down.

In April of that year, a special election was held to vote on the authorization of nearly $2 million in bonds to build additions on to several schools and a 26-classroom elementary school in the Thompson Park area of Coon Rapids. The bond issue was approved by a vote of 2,012 to 881 and construction on Northdale Elementary School (the school's original name) began. The school was build on a 15-acre site donated by Orrin Thompson at a cost of $726,353. It opened in September 1960 with Pauline Chamberlain as principal.

In 1976, Northdale Junior High School (now Northdale Middle School) was built down the road and Northdale Elementary was renamed Sorteberg Elementary School, after Leland Sorteberg.

Sorteberg previously owned the land on which the school was built and served as a longtime Anoka-Hennepin School Board member. He also served on the survey committee, along with L.O. Jacob (whom L.O. Jacob Elementary was named after), which recommended the consolidation of small school districts into what is now the Anoka-Hennepin School District. The committee was elected in 1947 and presented its final report in 1951.
Moving Forward
Due to school closings, attendance boundaries in much of Coon Rapids will change beginning with the 2010-11 school year. Sorteberg students will attend Eisenhower and Sand Creek schools. It has not yet been determined how the building will be reused.