Trinity School at River Ridge is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Christian school A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures. In some count ...

Eagan, Minnesota Eagan ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota. It is south of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul and lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and the ...

, United States. It provides an education rooted in

classical Christian education Classical Christian education is an approach to learning rooted in the long story of Christian engagement with the classical tradition as exemplified first by figures such as the Cappadocian Fathers, Augustine and Jerome as well as the fullness of C ...

to students in grades 6-12. The school is located at 601 River Ridge Parkway, Suite 200, in

55121, this 1996, 2008, and 2019 Blue Ribbon school is accredited by North Central Association and Independent School Association of the Central States (NCA/ISACS). The River Ridge campus was founded in 1987 by the

People of Praise People of Praise is a network of lay Christian intentional communities. As a parachurch apostolate, membership is open to any baptized Christian who affirms the Nicene Creed and agrees to the community's covenant. The majority of its members ...

, a Christian community. It is owned and operated by Trinity Schools, Inc, based in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

. The River Ridge campus has two sister schools, Greenlawn in South Bend and Meadow View in Falls Church, Virginia.

History

River Ridge, the second campus of Trinity Schools, Inc., opened in the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in sta ...

in 1987 with 6 teachers and 31 students, using rented facilities at Gethsemane Episcopal Church, in downtown Minneapolis, MN. Dan Ferris served as head of school. In 1991 the school moved from its downtown Minneapolis site to Bloomington, Minnesota, after purchasing a building (itself a former school) from Control Data Corporation. In 1991, when William Wacker became headmaster, the school had grown to 112 students and 18 teachers. The school expanded to two sections of boys and two of girls in 1995, starting with grade 7. In December, 2007, the River Ridge campus relocated to a new campus in Eagan, Minnesota. Jon Balsbaugh became head of school in Fall, 2009. In 2017, Jon Balsbaugh succeeded Dr Kerry Koller as President of Trinity Schools, Inc. In Fall, 2016, the school added a 6th grade. Steve Hendrickson, a long-serving member of the faculty and Dean of Boys, took on the position of head of school in Winter, 2023.

The 2007 move

In 2005, runway expansion at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport resulted in noise levels greater than 65 decibels on the River Ridge campus in Bloomington. The

Metropolitan Airports Commission The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) is the owner and operator of Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota as well as six other reliever airports in the Twin Cities region, which primarily provide se ...

offered a grant to Trinity School of approximately $7M either to install soundproofing or to help in a move to a new location. Trinity School accepted the grant and selected a new site in

Eagan Eagan may refer to: People * Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress * Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player * Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman * James Eagan (1926-2000), American politician from Missouri * John J. ...

, a nearby suburb, near the intersection of Argenta Trail and

Interstate 494 Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The road is coupled with ...

. The board of governors of the People of Praise authorized a fund-raising campaign and approved a construction plan for the new campus, which included offices, classrooms, science labs, a commons area, a two-station gym and soccer field. Groundbreaking at the new site occurred at ceremonies on October 19, 2006. The move from the Bloomington campus to the Eagan campus took place in December, 2007, after construction was completed on schedule.

Administration

Mr. Steve Hendrickson is the Head of the School. Mr. Patrick Murphy is the Academic Dean and Associate Head of School. Mrs. Peters is the Dean of Girls and Associate Head of School, and Mr. Jakob Olson is the Dean of Boys.

References

External links

Trinity Schools web site
{{authority control Christian schools in Minnesota Classical Christian schools Eagan, Minnesota Educational institutions established in 1987 Private high schools in Minnesota Private middle schools in Minnesota Schools in Dakota County, Minnesota Trinity Schools People of Praise 1987 establishments in Minnesota