5 things to know about Minneapolis schools’ effort to solve its budget crisis

Minneapolis school officials have been sounding the alarm for more than a year about a budget crisis brought on by decades of declining enrollment. Some have warned school closures may be needed to “right-size” the district’s buildings with its reduced student body.

In the past few weeks, district leaders conducted walk-through reviews of the district’s more than 70 buildings as part of a multistep process meant to address the district’s budget crisis. They’ll present some of their findings to board members Tuesday night, just before the Thanksgiving holidays.

District leaders won’t say yet what their space-use review means for possible closings.

Board member Collin Beachy said in September that “closing schools is not the first part of this conversation,” adding that he and his fellow leaders are committed to involving community members in the decision-making process.

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Here are five takeaways from the presentation board members will hear Tuesday night.

1) 29 Minneapolis schools ‘under-utilized’

According to the new report, which will be released in full on Wednesday, more than half of Minneapolis Public School buildings analyzed are considered, “under-utilized,” meaning they are being used at a rate of 70 percent of their capacity or less.

No buildings fit the description of “over-utilized,” only two were categorized as “highly efficient,” and less than half were categorized as “efficient.”

2) Not enough children attend Minneapolis schools to make every district school efficient

According to the report, the minimum number of students needed to efficiently use Minneapolis Public School buildings is just over 30,000. Current district enrollment is at just over 28,000.

On a districtwide scale, Minneapolis Public Schools is operating at 65 percent of the enrollment the buildings could ideally support.

3) District surveys show how families, students and staff view their schools

Most of the nearly 400 school staff and families surveyed agreed that there is enough space dedicated to gym activities and administration. When it came to restrooms, outdoor space, and cafeteria space, most said Minneapolis schools were not meeting staff and student needs.

The district has conducted polls, surveys and community listening sessions, many of which have been focused on certain demographic groups, certain staff or community positions.

District leaders say they plan to continue community engagement and will be “closely monitoring representation so we can ensure that participation rates mirror our demographics.”

4) District buildings aren’t designed for the way Minneapolis schools currently operate

More than 40 percent of the district’s buildings are more than 90 years old. Many don’t fit class sizes or educational programming. There are significant and ongoing issues around heating and cooling, accessibility, security and electrical infrastructure.

According to board presentation materials, the district’s buildings are in good condition, but their age is problematic “because of the misalignment of how we educated students when they were built versus how we educate today.”

5) The district plans more analysis before its next moves

The full “use and utilization” report, including more detailed information about each school building, will be made available to the public on Wednesday.

The district will use the report, as well as information on city and school demographics and changing residential patterns as it continues work to finalize its budget.

Minneapolis school leaders say they will identify the budget gap by the end of the year and prepare school and department allocations by mid-February 2025.