Hopkins High School is located in the suburb of Minnetonka, not Hopkins. The reason for this misnomer is because the 270 School
District is headquartered at Eisenhower Elementary (formerly Eisenhower High School) in Hopkins. Although Minnetonka High School
is also located in Minnetonka, it primarily serves students from Minnetonka.
Academics
Hopkins High School is Minnesota's first National School of Excellence. In 1996, Hopkins was the only high school in Minnesota
honored for overall excellence in Redbook's "America's Best High Schools" project. The Language Arts Department has been named
a "Center for Excellence" by the National Council of Teachers of English in recognition of the writing program. The Community
Involvement program is one of six in the nation honored by the IBM Corporation and U.S. News & World Report.
Hopkins high school participates in the Advanced Placement Program. In 2005, 494 students took 751 AP exams, with 77% scoring 3
or higher. Students mean SAT score of 1170 is well above national average, as is the mean ACT score of 23.9.
Since 1998, the school has had 84 National Merit Semifinalists and 141 Commended Scholars.
Athletics
Hopkins High School is a member of the Classic Lake athletic conference in the Minnesota State High School League. The school is
a powerhouse in both boys and girls basketball, producing several state championships and Division I prospects. In 2005, the school
gained national recognition when Blake Hoffarber, a student, hit a game winning shot while lying on his back during the state
championship game. For that shot, he was awarded an ESPY Play of Year Award and an appearance on The Today Show as well as
guest-appearance invitations to The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show
Though known primarily for its basketball prowess, some say that the true gem of Hopkins High School athletics is the Boy's Cross
Country team. The boy's team won 4 out of 5 State Championships from 1998-2002, and in many of those years the boy's squad won
every single meet they competed in.
Notable alumni
Aaron Brown - former CNN Anchor
Kris Humphries - Basketball player, Utah Jazz forward (2004-present)
Blake Hoffarber - Basketball player, Winner of the 2005 "Play of the Year" ESPY
Nate Berkus - Renowned interior designer
Jim Korn - NHL player (1980 - 1990)
Joseph Abellera - MLB player, Minnesota Twins (2004 - present)
Jeffrey Lee Parson - Apprehended by FBI for creating MSBlast. B computer virus in 2003
Mike Lehan - Football Player, Cleveland Browns cornerback (2003-2005)Signed w/ Miami Dolphins (2006-present)
Rick Lindquist - Renowned Artist (collected in over 11 countries)
David Fliehr - Professional Wrestler (Son of "Nature Boy" Rick Flair)
