Insight News (March 22, 2016)
A school that was on the chopping blocks four years ago can now again call itself a champion. The Polars of North Community High School are state champions in Class 1A boys basketball following a 68 – 45 win in the title game over Goodhue, March 12 at the Target Center. In a bit of irony, just four years ago when North was set to close, enrollment at the school was just 68 students – one student per point scored by the Polars in the championship game.
Now, thanks to protests and community pushback, North’s enrollment is just above 300, graduation rates are up 28 percent and 90 percent of the school’s seniors are slated to graduate in a couple of months. “Nine out of the 12 kids on this team are on the A and B honor roll; that’s what I’m most proud of,” said North head coach, Larry McKenzie. “Four of our five starters are on the honor roll. We have three seniors who are going to college next year. That’s what this is all about. These are student athletes in every sense of the word.” READ MORE…