A move to close or merge schools in Minneapolis is not likely to occur anytime soon.
The Minneapolis school board is preparing to direct Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams to outline by March 2026 the costs and benefits of closing, merging or repurposing schools.
The “physical space study” directive came together during a board retreat Tuesday and would push into next year the timeline for any restructuring made possible by a board-approved “school transformation process” launched in December 2023.
Since then, board members have grappled with ongoing deficits requiring tens of millions of dollars in cuts in the 2024-25 school year and again in the coming year. The district also is eyeing a projected shortfall of at least $25 million in the 2026-27 school year.
But the proposal laid out on Tuesday finds the board taking a deliberative approach to any closure or merger discussions. It asks Sayles-Adams and her team to outline the costs and benefits of any such maneuver plus explain why any physical changes are needed.
“What is the criteria that we’re going to be using if we’re consolidating or closing schools?” Board Chair Collin Beachy asked on Tuesday.
The push toward a potential restructuring has stemmed, in part, from excess building capacity issues. A district built to serve 45,000 students had only about 28,500 in December 2023 when the transformation process was launched.
The district saw an uptick in enrollment in 2024-25, but much of that growth was due to the increased presence of “super seniors” — students who did not graduate from high school in four years but continue to work toward their diplomas.
