Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams said she would no longer recommend closing any schools next school year, less than a month after first proposing closures. Board Chair Collin Beachy said that he would not allow any resolutions to close schools for the 2027-28 school year to be placed on the board agenda this year.
The state’s third-largest school district runs 59 school buildings for approximately 29,000 students. The district recently analyzed buildings and determined more than half are considered “under-utilized,” or 70% of capacity or less. The district operates its buildings with significantly fewer students per building than other large Minnesota districts.
The announcement surprised some board members, including Director Sharon El-Amin, who said she was “blindsided” by the superintendent’s announcement at the beginning of the meeting…