Front Matter and Contents >>>>> >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota< Volume XI, Number Six, December 2024

Volume XI, No. 6                                       

December 2024

 

Journal of the K-12 Revolution:

Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Prospects for School Closings and Re-Purposing

to Meet the Financial Exigencies of the

Minneapolis Public Schools

 

A Five-Article Series

A Publication of the New Salem Educational Initiative

Gary Marvin Davison, Editor       

 

Prospects for School Closings and Re-Purposing

to Meet the Financial Exigencies of the

Minneapolis Public Schools

 

A Five-Article Series        

          

Gary Marvin Davison

New Salem Educational Initiative

Copyright © 2024

                           

Contents

 

Introductory Comments                                                                                                 

 

Article #1

 

Minneapolis Public Schools

Elementary Schools,

Percentage of Capacity Enrolled,

Listed by Lowest Ratio of Enrollment to Capacity to Highest

 

Article #2

 

Minneapolis Public Schools

Middle & K-8 Schools,

Percentage of Capacity Enrolled,

Listed by Lowest Ratio of Enrollment to Capacity to Highest

 

Article #3

 

Minneapolis Public Schools

High Schools

Percentage of Capacity Enrolled,

Listed by Lowest Ratio of Enrollment to Capacity to Highest

 

Article #4

 

Elementary Schools of the Minneapolis Public Schools

with Lowest Enrollment

 

Article #5

 

Middle & K-8 Schools and High Schools

of the Minneapolis Public Schools

with Lowest Enrollment

 

 

Concluding Comments

 

Recommendations of Schools for Closing or Re-Purposing

 

 

Article #1 >>>>> >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota< Volume XI, Number Six, December 2024

Minneapolis Public Schools

Elementary Schools,

Percentage of Capacity Enrolled,

Listed by Lowest Ratio of Enrollment to Capacity to Highest

 

For the following elementary schools, the first figure given is ratio of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity, with the second figure representing percentage of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity.  Schools are listed in order from lowest enrollment to capacity ratio to highest enrollment to capacity ratio.

 

>>>>> 

 

Elementary Schools

 

Cityview

 

167 : 712           

 

(24%)

 

Nellie Stone Johnson

 

176 : 713           

 

(25%)

 

Hmong International Academy

 

233 : 751           

 

(31%)

 

Hall

 

173 : 489           

 

(36%)

 

Folwell

 

319 : 863           

 

(37%)

 

Lyndale

 

233 : 631           

 

(37%)

Las Estrellas

 

323 : 737        

 

(44%)

 

Lucy Laney

 

311 : 711           

 

(44%)

 

Jenny Lind

 

248 : 535

 

(46%)

 

Lake Harriet Upper

 

285 : 615           

 

(46%)

 

Lake Nokomis Keewaydin

 

356 : 761           

 

(47%)

 

Bethune

 

246 : 519           

 

(47%)

 

Dowling

 

295 : 485           

 

(51%)

 

Kenwood

 

380 : 731           

 

(52%)

 

Bryn Mawr

 

349 : 580           

 

(53%)

 

Bancroft

 

365 : 665           

 

(55%)

 

Waite Park

 

273: 485            

 

(56%)

 

Armatage

 

340 : 575           

 

(59%)

 

Hale

 

316 : 539           

 

(59%)

 

Lake Harriet Lower

 

295 : 480           

 

(62%)

 

Lake Nokomis Wenonah

 

180 : 284           

 

(64%)

 

Pillsbury

 

374 : 582           

 

(64%)

 

Whittier

 

361 : 565           

 

(64%)

 

Seward

 

602 : 905           

 

(67%)

 

Burroughs

 

468 : 647           

 

(72%)

 

Barton

 

660 : 481           

 

(73%)

 

Loring

 

292 : 373           

 

(73%)

 

Windom

 

372 : 503           

 

(74%)

 

Kenny

 

315 : 413           

 

(76%)

 

Pratt

 

201: 256            

 

(79%)

 

Hiawatha

 

228 : 284           

 

(80%)

 

Green Central

 

545 : 665           

 

(82%)

 

(87%)

 

Howe

 

233 : 267           

 

(87%)

 

Northrop

 

365: 395            

 

(92%)

 

Emerson

 

499 : 712           

 

(115%)

 

<<<<< 

 

Introductory Comments >>>>> >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota< Volume XI, Number Six, December 2024

Students Enrollment Figures for the Minneapolis Public Schools, 1937-2024

Enrollment of students in the Minneapolis Public Schools has been on a long decline.

The most dramatic declines have occurred during the periods 1977 to 2001, when student enrollment hovered around 50,000;  2001 to 2019 when a decline resulted in student enrollment of approximately 35,000;  and then 2019 to the present academic year of 2024-2025, resulting in a student population of approximately 29,000.

Decline during the 1977-2001 period mostly likely was related to the out-migration from Minneapolis by key populations and to issues involving racial integration.

Decline during the 2001-2019 period mostly likely was issues pertinent to open enrollment and competition from charter schools (first appearing in Minnesota in 1991).

Decline during the 2019-2025 period is most related to the decling student age population in the city of Minneapolis.

The figures for student enrollment from the year 1937 through 2024 are given as follows  >>>>>

Year      Number of Students Enrolled

       (nearest thousand)

1937                    80,000

1941                    67,000

1945                    65,000

1949                    63,000

1953                    70,000

1957                    72,000

1961                    70,000

1965                    73,000

1967                    73,000

1969                    72,000

1973                    55,000

1977                    40,000

1981                    37,000

1985                    40,000

1989                    42,000

1993                    45,000

1997                    50,000

2000                    50,000

2001                    49,000

2005                    35,000

2008                    34,000

2009                    37,000

2013                    39,000

2015                    40,000

2017                    39,000

2019                    34,000

2021                    28,000

2024                    29,000

 

In this issue of Journal of the K-12 Revolution:  Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota, I give data and provide discussion and recommendations pertinent the need to close or re-purpose at least nine schools so as to meet the financial exigencies of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

 

 

Article #3 >>>>> >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota< Volume XI, Number Six, December 2024

Minneapolis Public Schools

High Schools,

Percentage of Capacity Enrolled,

Listed by Lowest Ratio of Enrollment to Capacity to Highest

 

For the following high schools, the first figure given is ratio of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity, with the second figure representing percentage of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity.  Schools are listed in order from lowest enrollment to capacity ratio to highest enrollment to capacity ratio.

 

>>>>> 

 

High Schools

 

 

North

 

506 : 1,678        

 

(30%)

 

Roosevelt

 

1,048 : 2051

 

(51%)

 

Camden

 

857 : 1,414        

 

(61%)

 

Edison

 

897 : 1,395        

 

(64%)

 

South

 

1,464 : 2,072    

 

(71%)

 

Southwest

 

1,484 : 2092      

 

(71%)

 

Washburn

 

1,582 : 1,730    

 

(92%)

 

Article #2 >>>>> >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota< Volume XI, Number Six, December 2024

Minneapolis Public Schools

Middle & K-8 Schools,

Percentage of Capacity Enrolled,

Listed by Lowest Ratio of Enrollment to Capacity to Highest

 

For the following middle & K-8 schools, the first figure given is ratio of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity, with the second figure representing percentage of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity.  Schools are listed in order from lowest enrollment to capacity ratio to highest enrollment to capacity ratio.

 

>>>>> 

 

Middle & K-8 Schools

 

 

Anwatin

 

321 : 807           

 

(40%)

 

Franklin

 

288 : 655           

 

(44%)

 

Sullivan

 

599 : 1,230        

 

(49%)

 

Northeast

 

506 : 936           

 

(54%)

 

Olson

 

362 : 605           

 

(60%)

 

Andersen

 

877 : 1,530        

 

(57%)

 

Sanford

 

738 : 1,017        

 

(73%)

 

Justice Page

 

926 : 1,105        

 

(84%)

 

Anthony

 

766 : 850           

 

(90%)

 

Ella Baker

 

578 : 645           

 

(90%)

 

 

<<<<< 

Article #4 >>>>> >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota< Volume XI, Number Six, December 2024

Minneapolis Public Schools

Elementary Schools of Lowest Enrollment

 

For the following elementary schools, the first figure given is ratio of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity, with the second figure representing percentage of students enrolled by comparison to building capacity.  Schools are listed in order from lowest enrollment to capacity ratio to highest enrollment to capacity ratio.

 

Schools listed below are those of lowest enrollment. 

 

Each of these schools has an enrollment as a percentage of capacity of less than fifty percent (50%).  Five schools have an enrollment as percentage of capacity of less than forty percent (40%).  Two of these schools have an enrollment as percentage of capacity of less than thirty percent.

 

>>>>> 

 

Elementary Schools

 

Less Than 30 Percent Enrollment as Percentage of Capacity

 

Cityview

 

167 : 712           

 

(24%)

 

Nellie Stone Johnson

 

176 : 713           

 

(25%)

 

Less Than 40 Percent Enrollment as Percentage of Capacity

 

Hmong International Academy

 

233 : 751           

 

(31%)

 

Hall

 

173 : 489           

 

(36%)

 

Folwell

 

319 : 863           

 

(37%)

 

Lyndale

 

233 : 631           

 

(37%)

 

Less Than 50 Percent Enrollment as Percentage of Capacity

 

Lucy Laney

 

311 : 711           

 

(44%)

 

Jenny Lind

 

248 : 535

 

(46%)

 

Lake Harriet Upper

 

285 : 615           

 

(46%)

 

Lake Nokomis Keewaydin

 

356 : 761           

 

(47%)

 

Bethune

 

246 : 519           

 

(47%)