MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Anoka-Hennepin School Board Appoints Greg Cole as Next Superintendent

ANOKA, MN (May 14, 2026) The Anoka-Hennepin School Board voted unanimously on May 13 to appoint longtime district administrator Greg Cole as the next superintendent of Minnesota’s largest school district, concluding a national search process earlier than originally scheduled.

Cole, who currently serves as the district’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), will officially succeed Superintendent Cory McIntyre on July 1, 2026, pending final contract approval by the board.

The decision was finalized during a special board meeting Wednesday following semifinalist interviews conducted earlier in the day. The superintendent search was facilitated by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA), a national executive search firm retained by the district to oversee the recruitment process.

According to district information, the search initially attracted 10 applicants consisting of both internal and external candidates. The pool was later narrowed to three semifinalists who interviewed with the board on May 13.

The board had originally outlined a multi-stage process that included additional interviews and a planned “Finalists Day” later in May. However, following the initial interview round, board members voted to move directly to Cole’s appointment and cancel the remaining stages of the search.

The unanimous vote was notable for a six-member board that has experienced ideological divisions on various education and governance issues in recent years.

Cole has spent more than three decades working within the Anoka-Hennepin School District and is widely viewed as an internal continuity candidate familiar with the district’s operations, schools, and community structure.

He began his career in the district in 1995 as a classroom teacher at Sandburg Middle School before later teaching seventh-grade English at Roosevelt Middle School and Oak View Middle School.

Cole subsequently moved into administration, serving in roles that included administrative intern, assistant principal, and principal at Northdale Middle School, where he spent approximately 13 years in school leadership.

In 2023, Cole was appointed Chief Operations Officer, a district-wide leadership position overseeing operational and infrastructure systems across the school district.

As COO, Cole supervised departments that included transportation, enterprise technology, safety and security operations, community education, child nutrition services, and facilities management. District records indicate the role included responsibility for approximately 6.2 million square feet of district facilities and grounds infrastructure.

The leadership transition comes after Superintendent Cory McIntyre announced in March 2026 that he would not seek renewal of his contract when it expires at the end of June.

McIntyre, who served as superintendent from 2023 through 2026, led the district during a period marked by budget pressures, labor negotiations, implementation of Minnesota’s READ Act literacy reforms, and broader statewide debates surrounding public education policy.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools, formally identified as Independent School District 11, is the largest public school district in Minnesota, serving communities that include Anoka, Blaine, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Andover, Ramsey, and portions of surrounding north metro municipalities.

By selecting Cole, the board opted for internal leadership continuity rather than bringing in an external candidate during a period of operational and financial challenges affecting school districts across Minnesota.

Public school systems statewide continue facing pressures tied to enrollment trends, staffing shortages, transportation costs, student mental health concerns, special education funding demands, and evolving academic accountability requirements.

The district is now expected to enter final contract negotiations with Cole ahead of his July 1 start date. Final terms of the superintendent contract, including compensation and contract duration, are anticipated to return to the board for formal approval in a future public meeting.

District officials have indicated that additional information regarding the leadership transition and administrative planning process will be released in the coming weeks.

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