Minneapolis Public Schools Closure Plan
At a glance
Based on human-uploaded captions, which may still contain errors in names and numbers.
- What: a Committee of the Whole item (item 1) that would have asked Minneapolis Public Schools to delay final action on its school closure plan.
- Where it stands: withdrawn from the agenda on October 15 on Council Member Vetaw's motion, 12-0, after the school board and district committed this week to closing no schools for the 2027-28 school year.
- Earlier step: the Committee of the Whole sent the resolution forward with a recommendation on October 13, 2026, 11 ayes and no opposition, while Council Member Vetaw said she might withdraw it if the school board changed course that evening.
- Next: none for the Council; the district's planning continues.
Discussion
- Council Member Vetaw thanked school board and district leaders and parents of one affected school who advocated for it; she and Council Member Chowdhury agreed to withdraw the item.
- Council Member Chowdhury said closures can cause instability and lower enrollment, and thanked residents and educators, including educators at a school serving pregnant and parenting students.
- Council Member Whiting noted that a statewide constitutional amendment for public schools is on the ballot and urged continued resources for the district.
Committee debate (October 13)
- Co-authors and others described affected schools in their wards and urged more engagement; Council Member Wonsley wants closures abandoned. Council Member Palmisano backed the language but urged honesty about the district's goals; Council Member Shaffer hoped redistricting stays on the table. Vetaw called for returning about 2,000 students to the district.
Sources
- 2026-10-13 - Committee of the Whole (committee vote)
- 2026-10-15 - City Council (video of the October 15, 2026 meeting)
- 2026-10-15 - City Council
- Minneapolis agenda portal: https://lims.minneapolismn.gov
Discussion time
About 28 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 - City Council | 6 |
| 2026-10-13 - Committee of the Whole | 22 |
Log
- 2026-10-13 - Committee of the Whole - sent forward with a recommendation, 11-0, after extended comments from members on closures and engagement.
- 2026-10-15 - City Council - item withdrawn 12-0 after the district committed to no closures for 2027-28.
2026-10-15 - City Council
Marked agenda: the Committee of the Whole resolution was deleted from the agenda.
2026-10-13 - Committee of the Whole
Resolution asking the district to delay its final vote approved in committee (marked agenda).