History & Governance

History

Educating children for More Than 100 Years

In 1884, Rev. Erik August Skogsbergh had a vision for education that inspired Minnehaha Academy. He believed in the importance of quality education with Christian faith as its center, and founded the school as a ministry of the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. 

The original incorporation from 1905 stated: “The purpose of this institution shall be to furnish young men and women with the essential elements of a liberal education, and to foster the development of character under the personal influence of Christian teachers.”

In 1911, Rev. Skogsbergh and Andrew L. Skoog gathered a group of 11, called the Core of Collectors, who were to raise $100 each toward a new building on the campus. The goal was $25,000, and they exceeded that figure and broke ground on June 30, 1912. On Monday, September 15, 1913, Minnehaha Academy welcomed its first class of high school students. Grades 7 and 8 were added in 1972.

In 1981, a building and land were purchased for a Lower and Middle School. A chapel was added, and by 1982, the school served students in Grades 1 through 8. Kindergarten students were welcomed in 1985 and ten years later, a preschool was started. In 2012, Minnehaha Academy celebrated the Centennial with special events and a look back at 100 years of educating students.

On August 2, 2017, a natural gas explosion destroyed the center portion of the Upper School. It was an explosion that shook the entire building, and it shocked thousands of people who have known, loved, and called Minnehaha home. Upper School students were relocated to a temporary campus in Mendota Heights for two years. In the fall of 2019, Minnehaha Academy welcomed Upper School students to the rebuilt campus. 

Beginning with Rev. Erik August Skogsbergh’s 1884 vision for a school until Minnehaha Academy’s opening 28 years later in the fall of 1913, Minnehaha has been supported in prayer and finances by many founders and contributors. The school’s spiritual foundation has been solidly consistent, surviving times of war, economic uncertainties, racial, civil and political unrest, world-wide pandemics, and challenges of various kinds. For more than a century, the school has remained faithful to its original mission.

Governance

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities 

Minnehaha’ s Board of Trustees is made up of Christian role models, including current parents, alumni, past parents, and others. At Minnehaha Academy, as in most independent schools, the decision-making authority at the highest level resides in a volunteer Board of Trustees. Election to the Board of Trustees and services as a trustee of the school carries with it a responsibility of stewardship. By definition, trustees are the custodians of the school: they hold “in trust” the school’s mission and reputation. Trustees accept the obligation to not only preserve, but to also augment the school. The work of trustees begins with fiduciary expectations of duty (due diligence on financials), care (making decisions by the standard of a “prudent person”), and obedience (to laws and bylaws). Beyond these duties, the work of trustees focuses exclusively on policies and strategies that are future-focused, and not on daily operations, which are delegated to the President. The Board of Trustees does not intervene in the daily affairs of the school, such as curriculum development and the hiring, evaluating, or firing of faculty and staff. Instead, the Board focuses on three areas critical to the success of any independent school: it selects, evaluates and supports the President, to whom it delegates authority to manage the school; it develops broad institutional policies that guide the Head in running the school; and it is accountable for the financial well-being of the school. In the conduct of its official business, the Board acts only as a whole; individual members, including the Board Chair, have no authority to act unless specifically authorized to do so by the Board acting as a whole. 

Trustees acknowledge that their role is governance and leadership, not management, and they redirect back to management (the Head/administration team) and constituents (faculty, staff, parents or alumni) who hope to engage trustees as an “appeals court” or “grievance committee.”

Statement of Faith 

The following Statement of Faith is required of all trustees who serve as members of the Board of Trustees: I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and, with His help, intend to live a life consistent with His teachings. I believe in the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, as the Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. 

The President Role 

The Minnehaha Academy President is a strong Christian role model. The Head is the professional, institutional, and educational leader of the school and he or she is authorized to oversee all administrative functions. The Head serves in the same capacity a CEO would in a for-profit corporation (although some major differences exist between non-profit and for-profit organizations). Other key concepts: 

• The Head works with Board and school employees to implement Board policies. 
• The Head has complete authority for faculty, staff, and student selection, evaluation, and dismissal. 
• The Head keeps the Board informed about decisions in all these areas. 
• The Head is responsible along with the school’s financial officer and the Treasurer of the Board for developing and monitoring the budget.

Administrator Role 

The Minnehaha Academy Administrators (Principals and Directors) are strong Christian role models. They are charged with comprehensive responsibility for all activities involving students, faculty, and staff in their respective divisions (pre-school, lower school, middle school, upper school, admissions, finance, advancement, curriculum, and athletics). Responsibilities include maintaining congruency between the school’s Board- approved mission and vision statement and all activities of the division, acting as the educational leader of the division, and overseeing day-to-day operations. Administrators act as chief articulators of that division’s programs, expectations, guidelines, and other information necessary to ensure that all constituencies are fully informed, consistent with their individual roles. Instructional and non instructional administrators work cooperatively in fulfilling the goals of their divisions. 

Faculty and Staff Role 

Minnehaha Academy faculty and staff are high-quality professional leaders and Christian role models who implement the school’s mission by providing educational experiences, support, and guidance to students. They provide high-quality, subject-matter expertise and leadership and collaborate in casting and implementing goals aligned to the school’s mission and vision.

Strategic Plan

Distinctive PK-12 Programming

Minnehaha Academy will broaden its exceptional academic and co-curricular experiences for students to explore and deepen their learning, so that students produce purposeful, authentic, and beautiful work that prepares them for college and future vocation.

Vibrant Faith Formation

Through the integration of Christian faith and learning, all constituents will actively participate in God’s story, learning and leading with their head, heart, and hands, while growing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and others. Students will develop into servant leaders who impact our neighborhood and extended communities.

Strategic Enrollment

Minnehaha Academy will identify, recruit, enroll, retain, and graduate students in line with our mission and goals while also ensuring a strong, positive experience for teachers and families, and maintaining fiscal sustainability.

Stakeholder Participation

Minnehaha Academy will implement programs and initiatives to achieve greater participation and sustained enthusiasm and commitment from all constituencies in the life of the school which will lead to increased event attendance, greater volunteerism, new and increased financial giving, and new partnerships.

Facilities Master Plan

Minnehaha will develop an aspirational Master Facilities Plan for all divisions at both campuses that leverages and re-imagines how Minnehaha’s buildings and grounds can support all activities of the school and its evolving future needs.

Dynamic Professional Culture

Minnehaha Academy will optimize employee performance through the creation of a plan to attract, retain and develop excellent employees.

Northwest Conference Affiliation

Minnehaha Academy is a ministry of the Northwest Conference* of the Evangelical Covenant Church. We believe the Bible to be the true Word of God and students will hear the message of the Gospel. Students are required to participate in Bible instruction and to attend weekly chapel. We provide the opportunity for students to discover and cultivate their relationship with Jesus Christ as they engage in experiences that integrate Christian faith and learning.

As a ministry of the Northwest Conference, Minnehaha affirms the Covenant Affirmations, its Resolution on Human Sexuality (1996) and its Resolution on Racial Righteousness (2008).

*The Northwest Conference comprises over 140 Covenant Churches and five Bible camps in Minnesota, the Dakotas and western Wisconsin.

Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) Affirmations

Consistent with its affirmation of classical Christianity and its own historical experience, the ECC affirms as central to its life and thought a number of evangelical emphases. Foremost among these are the following:

• the centrality of the word of God, 
• the necessity of the new birth, 
• a commitment to the whole mission of the Church,
• the Church as a fellowship of believers, 
• a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit, and 
• the reality of freedom in Christ.

ECC Resolution on Human Sexuality (1996) (Abridged)

The Constitution of the Evangelical Covenant Church affirms: The Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testament, as the Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct.

Biblical Basis

God is the Creator of human beings (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 2:4b-25). The creation of human beings includes our sexuality, the genders of male and female, the companionship of male and female in an intimate marriage relationship, and the gift of procreation. By God’s own statement for all of creation, sexuality is good. Sexuality in marriage is celebrated in the Song of Solomon. Chaste singleness is blessed by the life of Jesus Himself, who models loving relationships. The Apostle Paul affirms both marriage and the single life as callings and gifts from the Lord (1 Corinthians 7).

Declaration

God created people male and female, and provided for the marriage relationship in which two may become one. A publicly declared, legally binding marriage between one woman and one man is the one appropriate place for sexual intercourse. Heterosexual marriage, faithfulness within marriage, abstinence outside of marriage—these constitute the Christian standard. When we fall short, we are invited to repent, receive the forgiveness of God, and amend our lives.

Conclusion

God has shown his love to us in the gracious gift of life, including sexuality. He has further displayed his love for us by redeeming our lives through the gift of his Son, who daily and richly forgives the sins of all who trust in him. As we receive God’s loving gifts, we must respond to him with loving obedience and to each other with tender compassion in every area of life.

Students who are Gender Nonconforming

Approved by the Board of Trustees January 10, 2017

We believe every person is created in the image of God, possessing inherent honor and dignity as a unique individual. We believe love for all people is a hallmark of the follower of Jesus. We desire that all faculty, staff, and administration model authentic principles of Christian love and discipleship.

Minnehaha Academy is committed to ensuring that all of its students, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religious or physical differences, are provided a safe and supportive educational environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. Minnehaha Academy will assess and address the specific needs of students who identify as transgender and gender nonconforming in a manner consistent with Minnehaha Academy’s established guidelines and handbook policies.

Individual situations will be considered carefully and confidentially based on the unique factors involved and Minnehaha Academy’s response to any situation may vary from the general guidelines below. Any proposed exceptions to the guidelines should be discussed with Minnehaha Academy’s Administration before they are communicated or implemented.

Facilities

Single-occupancy restrooms will be available to all students. Multiple-occupancy facilities will be used in a manner consistent with a person’s biological sex.

Sex-specific groups (e.g., Athletics, Academics)

Each student will be placed in a group consistent with a person’s biological sex.

Name/Language Use

Internally, the school will use the name of student choice; official records will reflect legal name.

Dress Code

General dress code rules apply to all students regardless of gender identity.

Overnight Excursions

Each student will be placed in a group consistent with a person’s biological sex.

ECC Resolution on Racial Righteousness (2008) (Abridged)

1. All people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Christ died for all people (1 Peter 3:18). All people have eternal worth and are called to be co-heirs of the kingdom of God (Galatians 3:28-29). However, our perception of the image of God in others has often been deeply distorted by divisions between people along racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural lines (Acts 6:1, Ephesians 2:13). Our world is a place of deep injustice that is perpetrated and perpetuated along the lines of race and the divisions that accompany race in our world.
2.  God reconciled us through Christ and gave us, as Christ’s ambassadors, the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18, 20). Reconciliation is a comprehensive ministry through which God appeals to us to pursue righteousness (Psalm 34:14; Proverbs 12:28; Hosea 10:12-13; Matthew 5:6; Romans 14:19; 1 Timothy 6:11-12). Jesus spoke of righteousness in terms of the weightier aspects of the law: justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23).
3.  Pursuing righteousness is about truth-telling (Proverbs 12:17-22); it is about acknowledging and challenging systemic and individual sins that cause or lead to oppression (Isaiah 1:12-17; 58:6-9; Micah 6:8; Amos 5:21-24); it is about speaking for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8); it is about defending the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:9); it is about faithfulness to God (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; 5:18; 10:4; Ephesians 6:14) and just relationships with our neighbors across racial lines (Luke 10:25-37). Pursuing righteousness is about seeking change and advocating for change, participating with God in our own transformation and joining with God in the transformation of our world.
4.  Pursuing just relationships with all our neighbors encompasses more than asking God to forgive us our sins; it calls us to deeply repent and actively seek to heal our broken relationships (Psalm 32:3-5; Matthew 3:1-3; Acts 2:32-42; 1 Peter 2:24). John the Baptist called all who seek God to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). The Apostle John reminds us that when we claim to walk in fellowship with God, and yet refuse to see the sin in our own lives and the world, we walk in darkness and do not practice the truth. But when we walk in the light, we have fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7). Pursuing just relationships is a radical living out of Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:29).
5.  God alone knows what full reconciliation looks like, when every nation, tribe, people, and language will worship before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10). Even as we await the fulfillment of this promise, we journey toward reconciliation. Therefore, we are called to righteousness and to join in God’s work to establish the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

We thank God that the Evangelical Covenant Church has been an effective instrument of God in mission, evangelism, and ministries of compassion and justice. We are grateful for God’s grace that is moving us toward becoming a multiethnic faith family. However, our progress has given us a deeper sensitivity to our failures, both past and present. We therefore resolve the following:

We resolve that the Evangelical Covenant Church and each Covenant church and ministry continue its dialogue about racial sins by inviting members, beginning with Native and African Americans, to give voice to their stories of harm and suffering.