If Robbinsdale Area Public Schools ever consolidates Cooper and Armstrong into one high school, Willie Howard might seem like the last person who’d support it.

He is Cooper’s activities director and has the word “Coach” tattooed on his right arm in Cooper’s blue and orange. Armstrong is a fierce rival.

But with the Robbinsdale school district facing serious financial challenges, Howard is part of a 35-person group called Reimagine Rdale: Vision 2030, which has spent eight months forming a comprehensive five-year plan.

One of the group’s recommendations, unveiled this week, is to merge Cooper and Armstrong into one large high school, preferably built new. Howard loves the idea. He was one of the main presenters at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

What swayed him?

“The opportunity to go on the tour [of other schools] and see the possibilities,” he said, “knowing that I’ve had four kids go through [Cooper], and to see what that experience could have been.”

Howard stressed that these major financial decisions would ultimately be made by the school board.

The projected enrollment of that potential solitary Robbinsdale high school is about 2,900, which would rank third in Minnesota this year behind Wayzata (3,533) and Minnetonka (3,353).

For now, Cooper (1,003) and Armstrong (1,518) both have Class 5A football teams, the second-biggest class.

If this recommendation becomes a reality, Robbinsdale’s new high school would have a new nickname and new uniforms.

Howard said that would be important, “making sure we don’t glorify one high school and then eliminate another. Starting fresh and being able to then also recognize the proud history and legacy for the previous high schools.”

Howard notes that Cooper and Armstrong have already formed co-ops in several sports, including girls hockey, soccer, lacrosse, boys swimming and Alpine skiing.

“While combining schools creates new opportunities, it could also become more competitive for students to earn a spot on certain teams and groups,” Vision 2030 team member BriAnn Foss said. “Undoubtedly, this would require the district to hold tryouts, and some students might not make the team.”

On its tour of other high schools, Robbinsdale’s group visited Shakopee, White Bear Lake and Minneapolis North, among others. Vision 2030 includes parents, students and community members.

“You know what really drew my attention [on the tour] was the dedicated space for the fine arts,” Howard said. “And just really being able to see multiple auditoriums and private spaces for students to zero in on finding themselves in the arts. Whereas right now, we try to do our best.”

Howard had a special guest at Tuesday’s board meeting: his son, Jaxon, a Cooper graduate who is now a defensive lineman for the Gophers.

“My son said, ‘Dad, what’s taken so long for this? It’s been so hard growing up — you go to middle school and play youth sports with your best friends, and then all of a sudden, when you hit ninth grade, half of them go to [another] high school.’”

The district’s issue is money, and a new high school would require asking taxpayers for more. As school board member Kim Holmes said Tuesday, “I don’t want to break the backs of our community.”

Derrick Williams, the school district’s interim director of communications, noted that Vision 2030’s recommendations are just that — recommendations.

“It’s far too early to know what anything would look like in terms of combining our two high schools, or if that will even be the direction of the school board,” Williams said.

According to a draft of the district’s timeline, the school board will hear more details on Vision 2030’s recommendations on Oct. 6 and Oct. 13. By November’s end, school building recommendations will be submitted.

Any school closures for the 2026-27 school year would come to a school board vote at its Dec. 8 meeting.