It’s no secret that Minneapolis Public Schools faces some big challenges.
Years of declining enrollment have reduced the district’s funding and spread the district’s resources over a number of buildings that school officials say no longer fit the district’s realities. A 2020 plan aimed at addressing racial inequities in the district didn’t end up doing so — instead its changes fueled the enrollment decline. Massive budget cuts in recent years have caused major reductions in popular programs at some schools. And the city is still reeling from the impact of Operation Metro Surge.
The district’s finance department has also had a tumultuous year: Key finance staff were put on leave in January and ultimately left the district after $3 million was diverted from an employee health fund. Since then, more financial errors have come to light: the district missed out on more than $10 million annually in special education funding and was assessed more than $5 million in penalties from the IRS.
On the heels of all these challenges, district officials unveiled plans Sept. 15 that would have closed or merged up to 16 schools. District officials said these plans would help them use their existing resources better and create a more equal educational experience across the district. But parents across the city pushed back, saying the timeline was too short to make a decision for next year and that their children needed stability after so much upheaval. Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams announced Oct. 13 that she recommended the board put those plans on pause and not close any schools for the next school year, but that difficult decisions would lie ahead.
Those decisions will now fall to the next Minneapolis school board, which will include at least three and as many as five new members. Voters will elect two at-large candidates, and voters in about half the city will also elect a board member to represent their geographic district.
Incumbent school board chair Collin Beachy and newcomers Michael Baskins, Christin Crabtree, and Stephanie Johnson are running for at-large seats to represent voters across the city. Voters will elect two. At-large board member Joyner Emerick is not running for reelection.
In District 1, which comprises northeast and southeast Minneapolis, incumbent school board treasurer Abdul Abdi faces a challenge from business education teacher Ben Lattimore.
Shannon Gibney, an author and college instructor, is running unopposed for District 3, which represents parts of south Minneapolis including the Phillips, Powderhorn and Seward neighborhoods. That seat is currently held by Lucie Skjefte, who was appointed to fill a temporary vacancy and is not running for election.
Molly Chase and Becca Dryden are running for District 5, representing Longfellow, Lake Nokomis and Diamond Lake in south Minneapolis. Lori Norvell, the current District 5 representative, is not running for reelection.
Sahan Journal interviewed all nine candidates about how they plan to approach the challenges facing Minneapolis Public Schools. Their answers shine light on what may be next for the district — depending on how voters decide.
