Minneapolis gives final OK to sell three schools

Minneapolis Public Schools board members gave final approval to a plan to sell three schools closed in recent years to three high-achieving charter schools.

"We are beginning a new phase of partnerships and I want everyone to understand that we selected these charters as partners since they have the same high standards to which we hold ourselves," said Minneapolis Superintendent Bill Green.

Minneapolis schools' officials interviewed the leadership teams of all three schools and plan to partner with them on academic programs. District officials said their first priority for the proceeds is to retire debt ranging from $425,000 to $1.4 million on each building.

Under the proposal, which was approved Tuesday night:

• Franklin Middle School, 1501 Aldrich Av. N, will be sold to Friend of WISE on behalf of the Woodson Institute for Student Excellence (WISE) Charter School. The K-7 program on the North Side serves about 300 students and plans to expand to eighth grade next year. It intends to become a feeder school for Minneapolis' North High. Sale price: $5.6 million.

• Morris Park Elementary, 3810 E. 56th St., will be sold to Charter Schools Development Corp. on behalf of Hiawatha Leadership Academy, a K-2 that serves a large Latino population. Sale price: $2.5 million.

• Putnam Elementary, 1616 NE. Buchanan St. , to YBC Inc. on behalf of Yinghua Academy, one of the state's first Mandarin Chinese immersion programs. Yinghua currently operates from a site in St. Paul. Sale price: $3.2 million.

PATRICE RELERFORD