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| |  | Minneapolis school board candidates Stephanie Johnson, Christin Crabtree, and Michael Baskins. |
| Who’s Running for Mpls School Board? | It’s been a tumultuous time for Minneapolis Public Schools. On today’s episode, three candidates for school board pitch how they’d turn things around. There are two open seats for the at-large positions, and Michael Baskins, Christin Crabtree, and Stephanie Johnson are hoping they’ll get one of them. School board chair Collin Beachy is also running for re-election, but couldn’t make the forum. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities] | - “Transformation” plan: Crabtree and Baskins have stated they disapproved of the district’s plan to close up to 16 schools, which has now been tabled. But in today’s forum, all three candidates said they wouldn’t rule out merging schools in the future. When asked what the board could do to improve students’ test scores, Johnson’s main solution was consolidation. “ The answer seems to come back truly to resources and what we don't have, and being spread too thin across too many buildings at this point,” Johnson said.
- Friction: At one point, Baskins and Crabtree sparred over whether school closures would save money. Crabtree stated she believed it wasn’t a cost-saver, because the district would lose students. Baskins said it would mean saving administrative costs.
- Press play: Whew, it’s hard to sum up a more than 30-minute long forum. I highly recommend you listen to the candidates in their own words.
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| What the Cities Are Talking About |
| Fast money: President Trump awarded YouTuber Nick Shirley $10,000 as part of a newly-created fraud whistleblower program. In a viral video, Shirley made unsubstantiated claims about fraud among daycares in Minnesota. The $25 million whistleblower program promises fast payouts to tipsters whose information leads to criminal charges. [MPR News] | | On pause: The St. Paul School Board tabled a controversial vote on cutting 16 English language teachers midyear, but will vote on the matter again next Friday. Sahan Journal reports St. Paul Public Schools has lost one in eight English learners since March 2025, which officials attribute to Operation Metro Surge. [Sahan Journal] | |  | The former Keg and Case marketplace in St. Paul. (Sean McPherson / City Cast Twin Cities) |
| Sports! The former site of Keg and Case Market is turning into a boxing gym, juice and coffee bar, and 500-person event space. The new owners include former Vikings player Michael Floyd, his wife Sydney, and Dalton Outlaw of St. Paul’s Element Boxing and Fitness. You can check out their open house this Friday, from 4 - 7 p.m., and watch the Timberwolves in the sports lounge. [CBS Minnesota] | | ‘Catastrophic’: A fire has closed Resource, a community art space in south Minneapolis, and displaced its three organizers who lived upstairs. Residents were unharmed, and a support page for Resource has raised more than $20,000. [Bring Me The News] | | More sports! Our friend from Racket Em Cassel visited Dinkytown’s new hockey-themed coffee shop. Two For Tripping is where Annie’s Parlour used to be, which closed after a 50-year run. Can they attract customers back to the neighborhood? We’ll see. [Racket] |
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We have a correction for yesterday’s newsletter. We incorrectly wrote that the St. Paul School Board voted to eliminate teacher positions. After a long meeting, the board delayed that vote – teacher jobs are safe for now. We sincerely apologize for the mistake. |
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