Leaders of Minneapolis College Preparatory, a north Minneapolis charter school scheduled to open in August, have pushed back the start date a full year.
Despite pressure from the Minneapolis School District to open the school as soon as possible, the charter's directors need extra time to make connections and build partnerships on the North Side, board chairman Russell Mosley said.
"Far too often charters try to open before they are ready and live to regret moving ahead prematurely. We are going to do this right," Mosley said.
The decision disappointed Minneapolis school board President Jill Davis. The delay put a hitch in the district's strategic plan, which calls for opening more nontraditional schools in high-poverty neighborhoods with poor academic performance.
"It was unexpected, but hopefully sound planning will make it more successful," Davis.
Minneapolis has lofty goals for the charter school, which officials hope will provide solutions to dismal graduation rates and bring back students who have fled north Minneapolis for suburban districts or other city high schools. The school is based on the model of Noble Network, which has 10 charter school campuses across Chicago.
Delaying the start is the right move, said Al Fan, executive director of Charter School Partners, a Minnesota-based organization that lends support to charter school start-ups.
Most charter schools bank on two years of preparation before opening their doors, Mosley said. Before the decision, Minneapolis College Prep was on a 14-month timeline.
