You scanned a lawn sign

Minneapolis plans to close the school in your neighborhood. You don't need a kid there for it to matter.

On Sept 15, 2026 the superintendent presented three options for closing or merging 15 to 16 buildings. Kenny Community School closes in all three. The board plans to vote on Nov 10. There has been no public hearing and no public comment on the options.

days

until the board's planned vote on the final plan (Nov 10)

Per the Sept 15 presentation. District staff say decisions after Nov 10 would likely push changes to 2028-29.

Kenny isn't closing because it's too small.

By the district's own measure, Kenny's building is used efficiently, and the Sept 15 presentation codes Kenny as large enough for the MPS student experience. It closes in all three options anyway, and the deck never states a minimum size.

of design capacity in use this year

326 students projected for 2026-27, in a building built for ~389. [MPS budget] MPS calls 70-90% "efficient." The last official state count, Oct 1, 2025, was 312 students, or 80%. [MDE]

0.0%

of students attend consistently

vs. 64.1% across MPS, 75.5% statewide (2024). [MDE]

2026

Minnesota School of Excellence

Named by the Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association. [Kenny Elementary]

meet state math standards

81.5% meet reading standards (2025), about double the district. [MDE]

minimum enrollment numbers stated in the 118 slides or the 3-hour meeting

MPS calls schools "too small" and "optimally sized" without publishing a threshold. Director Norvell asked for it on Sept 15 and did not get an answer. [Presentation] Meeting

If you don't have kids in the building

A closed school doesn't become money.

Closing a building is not the same as selling one. Minneapolis Public Schools already owns six buildings that are vacant or not used for its own programs, and the district's record on emptying them out is long.

MPS buildings already vacant or not used for district programs

Before a single new closure.

2+ years

how long a sale takes, per the district's own operations officer

He has said it can run "potentially significantly longer."

$50k-$80k

a year to maintain one empty elementary school

The district keeps paying that while the building sits.

2007

the year Tuttle Community School closed

It is still on the market.

Board rules adopted in 2021 also bar the district from selling a school building to a charter school or a child care center. So the realistic outcome for a closed Kenny is not a sale, a park or housing. It is a dark building on your block for years, with the district still paying to keep the heat on. [Star Tribune, May 6, 2026]

Two minutes, right now

Call the three board members who represent every Minneapolis voter.

The at-large directors are elected citywide, so you are their constituent no matter which neighborhood you live in and whether or not you have children in the schools. Ask them not to vote on this plan as presented.

Collin Beachy

612-668-0447 · Chair, at-large

Kim Ellison

612-668-0445 · Vice Chair, at-large

Joyner Emerick

612-472-6074 · At-large

Numbers verified against the MPS School Board page. If you can't reach anyone, the district main line is 612-668-0000; ask to leave a message for the School Board.

Read this. About 60 seconds, and voicemail counts.

Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your neighborhood] in Minneapolis. I'm calling about the School Transformation plan. I'm asking the board not to vote on this plan as presented. The presentation never states the minimum school size it is using. Director Norvell asked for that number on September 15 and did not get an answer. The board should not close 15 or 16 buildings against a standard the public has never seen. Kenny Community School shows the problem. The district's own building report calls Kenny efficiently used, and the district's own presentation codes the building as large enough. Kenny closes in all three options anyway. The deputy superintendent told the board that closures are not a big cost savings, so this plan does not fix the budget either. Please fix the budget without closing schools that are working, and please do not vote on this plan as presented. Thank you for your time.

There is no option that keeps Kenny open. Arguing for Option 1 over Option 2 does nothing. The district said on Sept 15 that the options can be combined and that it wants to hear what it missed. What the board heard · The case for Kenny

Get told when something actually happens.

Meeting dates, votes, and changes to the options. Nothing else.

Do you have a child in an MPS school?

Type your address to see what the three options do to the school your child would attend.

Check your school

Most of your neighbors have not heard about this.