Robbinsdale High School celebrates big reunion

More than 22,000 students passed through the halls of Robbinsdale High School during its six decades of existence.

The school opened in 1936, when Big Band swing was the thing. It grew into one of the largest high schools in the state by the 1960s, when rock 'n' roll was the rage. The Robbinsdale Area School District closed the high school in 1982 — right around the time disco died — consolidating it with the district's two other high schools.

All those eras and all that music will be celebrated at Robbinsdale High's All-Class Reunion this weekend.

Organizers have spent more than two years planning the event, which is so big it has turned into a community party. Thousands are expected to attend, including at least one member of the first graduating class.

"This goes beyond a high school reunion. It's a community celebration. Robbinsdale High was a big deal for the seven communities it served," said Mark Sorenson, chairman of the reunion committee. In addition to Robbinsdale, those are Crystal, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Golden Valley, New Hope and Plymouth.

Sorenson invited anyone in the community with connections or interest to Robbinsdale High to attend.

"There is no such thing as crashing this party," he said.

Most of the events will take place at the former high school, now Robbinsdale Middle School, 3730 Toledo Av. N.

Sorenson, 65, graduated from Robbinsdale High in 1966. His adult son is a high school referee, and attending events that his son refereed made Sorenson nostalgic and envious of other schools.

"I saw all their halls of fame and all their memorabilia and I thought, 'Man alive, Robbinsdale didn't have any of that,' " Sorenson said. "We had such a great school. We need to do something,' "

Sorenson, who was an athlete in high school, said the nonprofit committee is also working to gather trophies and memorabilia to create a permanent exhibit at the old high school.

They're also aiming to create a permanent archive of school documents and relics, likely to be housed at the Robbinsdale Historical Society, Sorenson said.

Sorenson played three sports, and some of his best memories of high school come from his time on the football team.

"I remember the first time I put on a Robbinsdale football jersey. I was in heaven. I had been watching these guys for years," Sorenson said. "I thought this was the coolest moment. I thought I'd better live up to this."

The school board closed Robbinsdale High after the district suffered a sharp drop in enrollment throughout the 1970s. It was a contentious, prolonged process with packed school board meetings and a court challenge. News of the closure was met with anger and tears.

"It was the original high school in the district, and it had a powerhouse football team in the 1960s," said Armstrong High Spanish teacher Mark Mertens, who wrote a 677-page dissertation on the high school's closing. "There were so many ties to the school. … It's what defined that small town of Robbinsdale."