Transformation at the Minneapolis Public Schools

Part One

Building Usage:  School Closings and Repurposing

Transformation at the Minneapolis Public Schools should be a two-part endeavor, involving

 

1)  building usage, necessitating combining, closing, or repurposing school buildings;

 

and 

2)  overhauling curriculum for knowledge intensity and the training of teachers capable of imparting  knowledge-intensive curriculum.

The following figures and discussion focus on Part One, Transformation at the Minneapolis Public Schools:  Building Usage.

 

Schools to Consider for Closing or Repurposing

The following groups of schools should considered together, so as to close or repurpose one or more schools in each group.

Figures given parenthetically are for the ratio of enrollment to student capacity, followed by percentage of enrollment to capacity.

 

Elementary Schools

 

North Minneapolis

 

Cityview (167:712)                                                    >>>>>   24%

Nellie Stone Johnson (176:713)                             >>>>>   25%

Hmong International Academy (233:751)         >>>>>   31%

Lucy Craft Laney (311:711)                                    >>>>>   41%

 

 

Hall (173:489)                                                            >>>>>   36%

Bethune (246:519)                                                    >>>>>   47%

Bryn Mawr (349:580)                                              >>>>>   53%

 

Note  >>>>>

The figures for Jenny Lind (248: 535;  46%) also require consideration. but the location of the school in the far northern part of North Minneapolis represents a challenge, since Loring Elementary (292: 373;  73%), also in the northern portion of North Minneapolis is operating much closer to capacity.

 

 

South Minneapolis

Folwell (319:863)                                                       >>>>>   37%

Bancroft (365:665)                                                    >>>>>   53%

Hale (316: 539)                                                           >>>>>   59%

 

Note  >>>>>

 

Folwell and Bancroft are located closer to each other and represent the more likely pair for reduction to one school.

 

Uptown/Southwest Minneapolis

Lyndale (233:631)                                                      >>>>>   37%

Kenwood (380:731)                                                   >>>>>   52%

 

Middle and K-8 Schools

North Minneapolis

 

Anwatin (321: 807)                                                    >>>>>   40%

Franklin (288: 655)                                                    >>>>>   44%

 

Note  >>>>>

 

The figures for Olson (362: 605;  60%) also require consideration, but the location of the school in the far northern part of North Minneapolis represents a challenge, since Olson is not very close to any other middle school on the Northside.

 

Northeast and South Minneapolis

Northeast (506: 936)                                                 >>>>>   54%

Anderson (877: 1,530)                                              >>>>>   49%

Sullivan (599: 1,230)                                                 >>>>>   60%

 

Note  >>>>>

 

These schools pose geographical and numerical challenges, so that combining the student populations or repurposing the schools will require considerable creativity.

 

High Schools

North and Northeast Minneapolis

 

North (506: 1,678)                                                     >>>>>   30%

Camden (857: 1,414)                                                 >>>>>   61%

Edison (897: 1,395)                                                    >>>>>   64%

 

Note  >>>>>

 

These schools pose geographical, numerical, and political challenges, so that combining the student populations or repurposing the schools will require considerable creativity, a creativity that should be exercised, given overall inefficient usage.  

 

South and Southwest Minneapolis

 

Roosevelt (1,048: 2,051)                                          >>>>>   51%

 

Note  >>>>>

 

Roosevelt poses a challenge for repurposing, given that other South and Southwest high schools have relatively high enrollment to capacity ratios, as follows:  South (1,464: 2,072;  71%);  Southwest (1,484:  2092;  71%), Washburn (1,582:  1,730;  82%).

 

The solution in the case of Roosevelt could be to maintain student enrollment while thoughtfully reconfiguring usage so as to lease unused space, ideally to agencies offering services consistent with student needs.

 

Also, consideration of other geographically, politically, and numerically awkward situations could entail thoughtful reconfiguration of some buildings to house both middle school and high school student. populations.