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| |  | A lineup of school buses in St. Paul. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) |
| MPS Wants Fewer, Fuller Schools | Yesterday evening, Minneapolis Public Schools unveiled three restructuring options aimed to address longstanding budget issues by merging and shuttering at least 14 school buildings. The district is careful not to say it plans to "close" the schools, instead opting to call them "unprogrammed buildings" that could one day be repurposed for something else. The district plans to collect public feedback through mid-October before the school board votes on a proposal in November. [Star Tribune / MPR News] | - Underenrolled: About half of all MPS students currently attend schools that have enough enrollment to support the district's desired staffing and programming. The three options presented estimate that between 71% and 82% of students could be attending "optimally sized schools" after shuttering and merging schools. [Star Tribune / Minneapolis Public Schools]
- Where are the kids? In a video message, MPS Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams said the district is facing these enrollment challenges largely because of school choice – families having access to send their children to a wide variety of charter schools, magnet programs, and neighboring suburban districts – and demographic shifts that there are simply fewer school-age children in Minneapolis. [KARE 11]
- Pushback: The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers criticized the proposals in a statement, saying, "There are certainly those who see public schools as little more than a book of assets to be liquidated and transferred to private interests." Union leaders instead want the district to focus on increasing enrollment and making it "appealing to enroll at MPS over any other option." [MPR News]
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| | | Award-winning bluegrass duo The Gibson Brothers bring their sibling harmonies, sharp songwriting, and decades of acclaimed music-making to Hopkins Center for the Arts on September 26. Minnesota favorites Monroe Crossing joins them for a night of bluegrass in our intimate downtown Hopkins theater. Make a night of it with free parking and restaurants just steps away. Tickets are on sale now. |
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| What the Cities Are Talking About |
| Not done yet: In light of recent news that Summit Brewing could lose its brewery to foreclosure, the massive beer maker is seeking new investors to help pay off their loans and continue operating. [Star Tribune] | - In case you missed it: Hear Sean chat with contributors Em Cassel and PaviElle French about Summit's situation on yesterday's episode of the podcast (segment starts at 5:14). [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
| | Race to watch: The state Senate election in the east metro District 41 is shaping up to be extremely close, and it's one of a handful of races that will decide who controls the state legislature after November. DFLer Judy Seeberger and Republican Tom Dippel are facing off against each other for the second time, after Seeberger won the seat by only 321 votes in 2022 and Dippel narrowly won (against a different candidate) in 2024. [MinnPost] | |  | Artist Stevie Shao works on a massive mural in St. Paul. (Photo courtesy Mike Davis, artist Stevie Shao) |
| MN's largest mural festival: The Chroma Zone Mural and Art Festival is happening now in St. Paul. In recent years, the historically industrial neighborhoods of South St. Anthony Park and Midway have become known as the Creative Enterprise Zone thanks to their high density of murals and public art. You can watch more murals go up this week during livepainting events and celebrate the art we have on a bike tour, block party and bus tour, or at the festival afterparty on Saturday. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities] | | Worth the drive: Though we don't have any drive-in theaters remaining in the Twin Cities proper, drive-ins in the suburbs and greater Minnesota are still getting plenty of business seasonally. About 40 minutes south of Minneapolis, the Elko Speedway Drive-In Theater shows a movie every other Friday night, and after some races on Saturdays. If you're up for a longer drive, the Long Drive-In in Long Prairie offers campsites to stay the night after a nostalgic evening of cinema. [MSP Magazine] | | Seems bad: Two Minnesota immigration judges have recently left their positions, leaving only four full-time judges at Fort Snelling with a backlog of roughly 33,000 cases. A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment on how the departures would impact scheduling and hearings but said a judge anywhere in the U.S. could hear a Minnesota case. [Star Tribune] |
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Have you tried the Meatloaf Dippers at Howard's Bar in Stillwater? Justin Vernon of Bon Iver probably likes them quite a bit, as he recently made a super catchy jingle advertising the sticks of meat. Check out today's episode of the podcast to hear from Howard's Bar co-owner Adam To about how the hyper-specific meat jingle from an internationally acclaimed artist came to be. |
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