In an effort to consolidate district resources, Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams introduced three plans to the school board Tuesday night that would shuffle thousands of students next fall and close up to 16 schools. But many educators and parents say the district is moving too quickly.

The proposals lay out new K-12 pathways and attendance boundaries that would impact up to 14% of enrolled students. The school board is set to vote on Nov. 10 on whether to move forward with any of the proposed changes. Any plan passed would be implemented in fall 2027. 

Susan Dreiling is the parent of a fourth grader at Field Elementary in south Minneapolis, one of the schools slated for closure under all three plans. Like many of the parents in attendance at the Tuesday meeting, she’s hoping the board delays action in favor of developing new strategies to grow enrollment over the long term.

“Hard plans can be the right plans, but we’ve got to have confidence in the leadership that’s putting it through,” Dreiling said. 

The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers called the school board’s timeline “unacceptable” and called on them “to pause any action on transformation until meaningful engagement can occur and there is a real plan for recruitment and retention of families in our district.”

A strategy years in the making

The superintendent’s presentation followed three years of discussion about how to “transform” the district amid declining enrollment and a $40 million budget deficit. 

The district serves about 30,000 students while its buildings have space for 43,000. More than half of the district’s 56 schools are operating at less than the capacity needed to provide consistent programming and staffing, according to Sayles-Adams’ presentation. Schools receive funding per student, leaving under-enrolled schools with less money to fund electives and educational support. 

The district said the changes would bring greater consistency to schools across the district, leading to better academic outcomes. Under the new plans, more than 70% of MPS students would attend schools with complete programming and staff. 

The presentation did not provide an exact figure for how much money any of the plans would save. Layoffs, if necessary, will depend on the school board’s approved budget in the spring and families’ enrollment decisions.

This current round of restructuring – board-speak for school closures and consolidations – first came up in 2023. In fall 2025, the board passed a resolution directing Sayles-Adams to provide initial information by April 2026. After discussions last spring, Sayles-Adams and her team worked through the summer on the three options presented Tuesday. 

The district’s last major restructuring was the 2020 Comprehensive District Design plan, which restructured boundary lines and magnet schools. Thousands of students left the district in the years following the CDC’s implementation, though other urban districts saw similar, if less dramatic, trends. 

School board member Greta Callahan said during the meeting that the district cannot operate under the assumption that families impacted by the restructuring will enroll at another MPS school. “History tells us otherwise,” Callahan said. “Families who lose their neighborhood school do not reliably stay.” 

Following the meeting, Dreiling said she is worried about the strain the uncertainty could place on school staff. “How do you fight to keep your school in your community and do your day job all at the same time?” she said. 

‘It’s parents that know each other by name’

Marsha Howard, president of the MFE, said that Kenny Elementary – which, like Field, would close under all three plans, recently won an award of excellence. Bethune Arts Elementary, also slated for closure, currently has a waitlist, she said. 

Howard questioned the timing of the closure plans, saying the district began working on the strategies before Operation Metro Surge, during which many school communities worked together to protect students and families, strengthening their network.

“If you are operating under a premise that is outdated by the time you present it to the public and the school board, what that shows, to me at least, is that you’re not reading the room,” Howard said.

Dreiling said Field Elementary is in a better position than it has been in years, spurred on by smaller class sizes and community built during Operation Metro Surge.

“It’s parents that know each other by name,” Dreiling said. “It’s the little conversations. It’s sipping on our coffees as we walk there, waving to those at drop-off. The school buses, we all know how many go by, and the drivers. It’s beautiful to show my child and her peers what the power of a strong school is.” 

MPS will hold community meetings across Minneapolis from Sept. 30 through Oct. 9 to gather input on the three plans. 

Shay Scanlan is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota and a reporting intern at MinnPost.

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