A Minnesota superintendent who once opened the school year by urging teachers and staff to examine their “whiteness” is leaving her position.
On Dec. 8, Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Hopkins Public Schools superintendent, posted on her Superintendent Blog, “After nine years in this role, I feel it is time to pass the torch of leadership.” She said she will not renew her contract when it ends in June 2026.
In the blog, Mhiripiri-Reed goes on to explain that part of her next chapter will include being “fully present as a mother” and notes that “you will still see me in the community as my daughter (Class of 2030) plans to graduate from Hopkins High School.”
She doesn’t mention that her son graduates in the spring as part of the class of 2026. Her school district’s profile still says her children “are both Hopkins scholars.”
However, Alpha News learned that Mhiripiri-Reed pulled her son out of the Hopkins school district and sent him to an elite private school in Florida.
“Like many families, my husband and I make educational and extracurricular decisions based on the individual needs and goals of each of our children. One of my children continues to attend Hopkins Public Schools and plans to graduate here because Hopkins provides an excellent academic experience and a strong sense of community,” Mhiripiri-Reed told Alpha News.
“For my older child, we made a private family decision to support his specific athletic goals, pursuing opportunities that are not available in Minnesota’s colder climate or programming. This decision does not reflect on the quality of Hopkins Schools, which I continue to champion and trust deeply,” she added.
‘A destination district’
In her official bio, Mhiripiri-Reed touts her leadership in helping create Vision 2031, described as a “vision of innovation to reimagine Hopkins Public Schools starting from the ground up” and a “bold plan to go from great to world class.”
Under that plan, “first choice” is listed as one of the “success indicators.”
“We will be known as a destination district for the state of Minnesota and beyond — the number one choice of students for their education — from birth to age 21,” says the Vision 2031 plan.
On the school district website, Mhiripiri-Reed is quoted as saying, “World class does not mean elite or exclusive. It means, the best. And every child in Hopkins deserves the best.”
Mhiripiri-Reed has faced criticism during her tenure for declining test scores and enrollment struggles, with Hopkins Schools Advocates (HSA) saying the “district’s implementation of Vision 2031 has not only led to lower proficiency rates on the MCAs — it’s been harmful to student outcomes across the board.”
Just 38 percent of Hopkins students are meeting standards in math and 48% in reading, according to the Minnesota Report Card. Over the last five years, the number of students open-enrolling out of the district has grown by 28%, according to the Sun Post.
Mhiripiri-Reed addressed some of HSA’s concerns in an April column, saying, “HSA claims that families are fleeing Hopkins. The truth is far more nuanced. And, our enrollment is stable.”
“Enrollment trends in diverse districts across the country show that families of color tend to stay when they feel seen and supported. Meanwhile, white enrollment decline in diverse schools is often driven by perceived quality,” she wrote.
In response, HSA said the superintendent was implying “that families who leave the district, or who simply bring up concerns, are acting out of bias. That’s both unfair and untrue, and it silences families who want to help.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the district plans to host its first-ever “Black Holiday Social” to celebrate “Black joy.”
