Minneapolis Schools: Just The Facts

Minneapolis is located in the mid-Eastern portion ofSign Language. Most of the Minneapolis Schools
Minnesota. It is the sister-city to St. Paul, and sitscommunications are printed in English, Hmong,
on the banks of the Mississippi River. MinneapolisSpanish and Somali.
Schools serve approximately 36,000 students.Educators, legislators, and parents alike are ever
16% of those students are enrolled in specialmindful of school funding. The $13.8 billion
education programs, 24% are English Languageeducation bill recently passed by the state
Learners, and 67% are participants in the state'slegislature boosts spending on special education by
Free/Reduced Lunch program. Minneapolis Schoolsabout $330 million, the largest-ever increase. A
employ 226 administrators, 115 principals andschool district with large numbers of special
assistant principals, 3,276 teachers, and 2,682education students, like the Minneapolis Schools, is
other staff members which includes educationalone of the biggest winners under the bill.
assistants, clerical and student support workers,The legislature has typically put most new
food service workers, transportation engineers,education spending into the per-pupil formula.
janitorial engineers, and tradesmen.That's the basic amount that Minneapolis Schools
The Minneapolis School consists of 99 differentget for each student. But this year, the biggest
schools: 23 K-5 elementary schools, 22 K-8chunk of new education spending goes to schools
elementary schools, 7 middle schools (grades 6-8),to educate students with physical and mental
7 senior high schools (grades 9-12), 8 specialdisabilities. The Minneapolis Schools, where one in
education schools, 8 alternative schools, 19six students qualify for special education services,
contract alternative schools, and 5 charter schools.would get more money than nearly every other
The entire budget for the 2006-2007 school yeardistrict in the state.
was $587,371,902, with the majority -Federal law requires the district to provide special
$376,924,691 - going to the general operatingeducation services, yet the state and federal
fund.governments don't pay the full cost of those
With the mission: "To ensure that all studentsprograms. So the Minneapolis Schools have
learn. We support their growth intopreviously used money from other parts of their
knowledgeable, skilled and confident citizensbudget to cover those costs.
capable of succeeding in their work, personal andThe special education money in the education bill
family lives into the 21st Century," the Minneapoliswill give Minneapolis Schools an additional $382
Schools use the following strategic plan:next year for every student, not just those in
- Reconnect with families and the community tospecial education programs. Additional spending
support student learningmeans additional programs can be maintained or
- Refocus our attention on student learning andimplemented; like when the Minneapolis Schools
academic achievementadded Spanish immersion hoping to attract
- Recreate a viable school system that isstudents and curb declining enrollment. According
responsive to the needs of students, families,to figures kept by the state Department of
staff, and the communityEducation, the Minneapolis Schools' enrollment
Of particular interest are the more than 90increased by 3 percent from 9,974 to 10,302
languages spoken in the homes of the studentsbetween 2005 and 2006 -- right after the district
of Minneapolis Schools. They range from Afgan,began offering immersion.
Afrikaans, and Croatian, to Yiddish, Swahili, and