Northside mother asks MPS to hear Black families as it considers school closures

On a typical school morning, La’Taijah Powell’s daughters and younger sister get dressed, dance a little and head to the bus stop for Loring Elementary School. Powell moved her daughters from Hall STEM Academy to Loring last year. She hoped they could spend the rest of their elementary years in one place.

“I never really wanted to have my kids going to multiple schools,” Powell said. “Like I did in elementary school, I kind of wanted them to be stable at one school.”

Now, Loring is included in three transformation options that Minneapolis Public Schools presented to its school board this month. Across the district, the options could close up to 16 schools. Some programs would move or merge with other schools.

The proposals span the city, affecting schools in North, Northeast and South Minneapolis. The board has not voted on a plan yet, but if the changes are approved, the district plans to implement them for the 2027-28 school year.

MPS says too many schools have fewer students than needed to fund staffing and programs. Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams said her team proposed consolidations while also working to increase enrollment. She said growing enrollment alone would be unlikely to address the problem on the proposed timeline.

“Transformation is about using our resources differently to provide a better and more consistent experience,” Sayles-Adams said in a district video. “It’s not about reducing expenses.”

Under Options 1 and 3, Loring students would join Jenny Lind Elementary. Under Option 2, students would be assigned to Jenny Lind, Cityview or Lucy Laney based on their family’s home address.

Powell wants to know whether her daughter will have the same classes that drew her to Loring.

“I feel like all kids need to have art, need to have music, need to have gym, need to have a language,” she said.

She also wants MPS to hear from Black families as it shapes what students would experience at a new school. Powell wants to see more Black classroom teachers and more opportunities for Black students to see their culture reflected in school.

“First and foremost, representation matters,” she said. “We need more Black teachers in these districts.”

Transportation is another concern. Powell said her children receive bus service this year only because of her family’s housing circumstances, but they did not have a bus where she previously lived. She worries about what transportation would be available if their school changes.

“Those are still the questions that need to be addressed. Again, if we are going to make these changes, then we should be making sure that that child can get to school,” District 2 school board director Sharon El-Amin said.

El-Amin said she did not expect specific schools to be named when the superintendent’s team first presented the options. When asked why Loring was included, El-Amin said she is seeking a fuller explanation from the district.

“How was it determined? What factors played a role in it?” she asked.

El-Amin also said the period for gathering family feedback is too short for changes of this scale. At the same time, she worries delaying the vote could leave students another year without the staffing and programs the district says it wants to provide. El-Amin urged families to tell their board members what they want.

“Stay involved. State what it is that you want to see. Share what your fears are,” El-Amin said.

Powell said she first learned about the proposal through a Facebook post before receiving a district information survey. She believes MPS should talk with families who might not even have an email address or a car to attend meetings.

“If you really want to hear from us, you’ve got to get your boots on the ground and you’ve got to show up to where we are,” Powell said.

Powell is considering moving her daughters to a charter school but would rather have them stay in MPS.

“I don’t want to. That’s not something I want to do because I’m like an advocate for public schools.”

MPS has posted three proposals and an address-based map. Its online survey is open through Oct. 16, and community meetings are scheduled across the city. Families can also contact board members at SchoolBoard@mpls.k12.mn.us.