Minneapolis Public Schools staff answer questions on school closure plan

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis Public Schools leaders said Friday their district transformation plan that includes closing schools will not significantly cut costs, but will instead allow the district to operate more efficiently. 

READ MORE: Empty desks, tough choices: Minneapolis families face possible closure of 16 schools

The consolidation plan

What we know:

Last week, Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams presented the MPS board with three options to consolidate the district. Each option includes closing more than a dozen schools. The reaction from the community was swift, with many parents raising similar concerns.

"Why are we doing this now? This doesn't make sense to me," said Samantha Pipkorn, an MPS parent whose children go to Howe Elementary. 

Under two of the three proposed options, Howe will close. 

What they're saying:

At a press conference Friday, Sayles-Adams said the consolidation is not about saving money.

"We expect to essentially spend the same amount of money that we would if things continued as is. But it would be spent in different ways," said Sayles-Adams.

In other words, consolidating schools would allow the district to spend more on staff and students and less on overhead costs.

Financial staff said redirecting spending to students will allow for more equitable programming throughout the district, like expanding music classes to elementary schools that were previously without. The district also hopes to expand pre-kindergarten classes, to attract students and increase enrollment. 

The other side:

Minneapolis parents expressed concerns about the possible closures. 

"It seems silly and foolhardy," parent Kari Seas said. "I know money needs to be saved. I’m not convinced this is the way to do it."

"It seems like this is just a rushed decision that they are trying to just hurriedly pass through," Seas continued. 

"It seems like the cost savings are not there, and the thing it’s going to ruin is community," said Andy Ducette, another parent in Minneapolis. 

"I really hope that our school board is going to make the right decision," parent Megan O'Reilly said. 

The budget reality

By the numbers:

MPS does still face real budget challenges. Staff recently closed a $40 million budget deficit for 2026, which they were able to do without dipping into the district's general fund, Ryan Strack, Senior Executive Officer for MPS said. The district has had to address shortfalls in previous years as well, and Strack said they may in the future without changes to the state's school funding formula. Strack said only increased state funding will solve structural budget issues. The consolidation proposals may only make budget gaps less severe — and only if the changes lead to higher enrollment.

"We do know that until we are fully funded as school districts there will be annual budget issues that we all have to face," Strack said.

MPS has capacity for 42,000 students, but this year only about 29,000 are enrolled, according to the latest district projections. Enrollment has started ticking up again over the last few years, but not enough to sustain all the district's schools.

What we don't know:

The district updated its website with enrollment and financial projections, but at Friday's press conference, officials acknowledged that enrollment is hard to anticipate — and again, they do not expect to spend less money overall. Pipkorn, who sat in on Friday's update, said she appreciated the district responding to community questions, but she remains shaken by the possibility that her child's school could close and unsure about the future.

"Are they going to do this again? I just — I don't have a lot of confidence in that. And certainly a lot of community trust has been frayed," said Pipkorn.

The board is expected to vote on the school closures this fall. Any changes would be implemented next school year.

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