At the close of last night’s Committee of the Whole meeting of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education, Chair Sharon El-Amin asked Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox to begin working on information for board members for what she called “school transformation.” This is a term board members had previously used to describe school consolidations and closures in response to the ongoing decline in district enrollment.

El-Amin said, “The time is now to have that conversation around the transformation and what that will look like.” She added that the board would like the necessary information to begin the process of making a plan before the June 13 board meeting to vote on a budget for the 2023-24 school year. She noted the importance of developing a community engagement plan, and making any decisions that might impact enrollment choices before the February 2024 choice card deadline.

As El-Amin spoke, Cox appeared to take notes. When El-Amin finished speaking, Cox responded, saying, “Thank you Chair El-Amin. My team and I will take that back and get working on it right away.”

No further details were shared in the meeting. The comments can be watched on the meeting recording starting around 1:28:00 in the English version.