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